Agate's Vigil

by Wingnut

Northern Reaches

Nilas was a pretty interesting place. It was only the second snowpony settlement that Agate ever saw, but at the same time, it was only the third city that she saw, since the only one she knew previously was the Imperial city. And all three of those were rather distinct.

For all their differences in architecture and material, both Snowpitt and the Imperial city were built on flat terrain. Nilas, however, was adapted to the bay it was built in and around. The homes were constructed in sets of cascading rows, descending slowly from the very top of the cliffs to the beach. Some of the homes were not built but dug out, or at least that's what Agate assumed all the doors in the cliffsides were.

While the bay was quite large, the location clearly constrained the amount of buildings that the locals could fit, and it showed. Where Snowpitt was still relatively open, the dwellings in the seaside cove were really crammed together. The arriving ponies didn't even seem to have all that much space to move around in, slowly shuffling down the narrow paths in long rows.

"How do you all fit in here?" Agate asked, shaking her head a little.

"That's the thing, we don't," Seaweed replied, chuckling. "Less than a quarter - or maybe a fifth? - of everyone here actually live in Nilas. We'll all pile into the buildings or set up a bit higher on the cliff for the night, but tomorrow, a great many boats are going to be launched into the sea. There's lots of settlements on the islands, ranging to ones about half as big as Nilas to small islets claimed by single families. Anyway, there's still things to do before the day is out. Let's see if we can find somewhere to crash, and we'll head out."

Approaching from the bottom gave them a small advantage in that regard, as most ponies descending from the cliffs haven't reached that far yet. Seeing one family entering a cliffside home, Seaweed made their way towards them. Unlike the usual ritualistic greetings that surrounded inviting someone to their home, the entire exchange consisted of a "Hey, any space in there for us three?" And a "Sure, leave the sleighs outside." in reply. Perhaps the northerners had different traditions, or maybe they were just too busy with settling in after the winter.

Agate waited outside while the mares unhitched themselves and took their bedrolls and a few items inside, exiting moments later. Scratching the spots where the harnesses were attached in relief, they trotted towards the beach again, moving along the curved shoreline of the bay in the opposite direction of where the seal colony was.

Somewhere close near the middle of the curve, a number of squat buildings began appearing on the sand. They didn't really look like homes, as they were built rather roughly, and had no windows. Various carvings of fish and other creatures or lines of the snowponish runic script adorned the sizeable stone blocks that faced the sea, each and every one unique. Seaweed and the others seemed to know what they were looking for, passing by over a dozen of the buildings before stopping by one with a large seal painted onto the side, multiple crystals embedded into the gaps in the wall.

"Looks like we're the first ones. Let's get to work, mares," Seaweed ordered, the other two nodding.

Instead of looking for a door - which the building didn't have, apparently - they simply started pulling out the stone blocks one by one from a section of the wall. Blinking, Agate curiously observed the rather unusual way of getting into a building, wondering at its purpose. It was taking the three mares quite a lot of effort to wiggle each stone out, especially since they had to rear up to reach the topmost ones. It looked like a lot of work, if that was what they had to do every time they wanted to get in.

Fortunately, by the time they were halfway done, more ponies arrived, including some stallions. Switching with the mares, they quickly disassembled the rest of the wall, stacking the stones nearby. It was already getting dark again, and Agate couldn't quite make out what was inside.

"Should we bother taking stock by moonlight? Won't see much," One of the newcomers asked the group.

"Might as well pull them out, see if there's any obvious damage. We can check for small things in the morning," Another pony replied, going into the building, several others following along.

After a few minutes of grunting, shuffling, and other noises usually associated with physical labor, the group of ponies exited through the opening, with some kind of large, heavy object draped across their backs. It wasn't anything that Agate ever saw before, and it took her a while to even guess at its purpose. Raking through her memory, she faintly recognized the shape as something she saw in a book about Equestria - it was a ship. Or a boat, whatever the difference was.

The carrier ponies carefully maneuvered it outside, where they deposited their cargo on the sand, taking a few steps back and wiping their brows in relief. "One down, too many more to go," One pony chuckled, the group laughing along. Going back inside, the group went to retrieve more boats, while other ponies went to examine them for damage.

Agate surmised that they must have been sealed in there for storage through the winter, while the tribe was wintering in Snowpitt. Although the buildings seemed rather secure, the ponies still looked for the tiniest hint that something was loose in the boats, running their hooves and muzzles over the surfaces, squinting in the gloom of early evening. Getting an idea, she trotted over to the storage building, examining the walls more closely.

Besides the seal, there was a picture of an island surrounded by water, which she assumed was Shear, her current destination. And the crystals dotting the wall had to be there because the island was their only known source. Reaching up towards one, she focused, feeling out the shape and quality of the crystal. Soon, it started to glow, reaching its full potential moments later. Satisfied, Agate stepped back, examining her hoofwork. She could light them up fairly easily now, though she didn't really know how many she'd be able to do before getting tired.

"Huh, what? Did someone bring a torch? There's no need to burn good - oh, well. That's interesting," One pony remarked, blinking in surprise at the sudden burst of orange light.

"Oh, that's useful. Thank you, Agate. You're very generous," Seaweed said, smiling at the filly.

"Don't mention it. It's pretty easy for me to do these days."

"If it's not too much trouble, could you light up a few more, traveler spirit?" More ponies began asking, Agate replying with a shrug and beginning to circle the building, lighting up the crystals one by one.

The extra light delighted the gathered crowd, and they got to their boat maintenance with renewed vigor. Agate watched them, though she honestly couldn't make heads or tails of what they were even doing. It was easily as mystifying as some of the strange magics the shamares were capable of. All she really knew of boats was that ponies used them to get around on water like they'd use carts on land, and that they didn't sink even if you put heavy stuff into them... Usually.

"Feel free to wander around if you're bored, Agate. You don't have to stay with us the entire time. We'll spend a few more hours here, then go back to the home we set up in. Go see the sights if you wish to," Seaweed suggested, misinterpreting her somewhat confused expression.

Agate nodded, weighing her options. While watching them work was somewhat interesting, it was one of those things she'd never be able to make use of herself. And the settlement was quite intriguing, not to mention the constantly splashing sea she could hear all the time. With a wave, she got up and trotted off along the shore, scanning her surroundings for anything eye-catching.

Ponies from the other islands unsealed their boat storage sheds as well, some of them still examining theirs, while others went to their homes, having set the boats up in rows on the sand. Some had their supplies unloaded from their sleighs in orderly little piles, ready to continue on to the next leg of their journey.

The rows of storage buildings went on for quite a while. Glancing at the runes and pictures now and then, Agate noticed something odd nearby. Turning towards the sea, she approached a dark streak between the waves. The foamy surface of the water glimmered in the moonlight, but there was a long stretch of stones laid down on the seafloor, creating some kind of wall, right in the middle of the water. Climbing on it, she noticed that it wasn't the only one. A few lines of stones criss-crossed the waves diagonally, creating a strange mini-bay within the bay. Scratching her head, Agate tried to recall more of that Equestrian book about boats.

"Wait, I know what this is. It's a pear. Pier? Or a dock. Boats... Dock at a pier. Or they pier at a dock. Oh, whatever."

Rolling her eyes a bit, the filly jumped off the rocks, trotting back to shore. The book described the Empire as a "landlocked country", whatever that meant. To her, the only thing it really meant was that Equestrians had a bunch of words for things that the crystal ponies really had no use for. Water was perfectly fine where it belonged, in wells and drinking cups. Who even came up with something like boats, anyway?

Well, the snowponies did, as well as the Equestrians, apparently, so maybe there was something to it. Still, she decided to leave it to the ponies that knew it best, turning her gaze towards the cliffs, instead. Crossing the beach, she climbed a short staircase built out of the local rock, glancing around.

❅ ❆ ❅

Agate spent a few more hours climbing up and down through the many levels of the bayside settlement, poking her nose into various nooks and crannies. The view from the top of the village was very nice, but even there, the ever-present sound of crashing waves was as loud as ever. She wondered how the locals managed to get any sleep with such a constant noise. Were their homes sound-proofed?

Making her way back, she marveled at how empty the streets became. After the initial flood of travelers and a brief burst of rushed maintenance on the homes and boats, everyone quickly settled in, tired after the day's activities. She watched with some curiosity and slight disbelief as the crowds disappeared, dozens of ponies somehow managing to cram themselves into a single house. The setup looked quite uncomfortable, but it explained the northerner's thirst for exploration and finding new islands to claim.

Glancing at the beach, Agate didn't see any movement around the storage building that she lit up. Remembering what Seaweed told her, the filly went to the cliff-house they set up in. The door was closed, but it wasn't much of an obstacle for her. Walking through, she glanced around before carefully stepping forward.

It was indeed a home, carved deep into the cliff, though examining it in closer detail wasn't really an option. The floor was covered in sleeping ponies, making movement difficult. Evidently, more travelers besides their little band asked the owners of the house to spend the night in there. Agate didn't need much besides a relatively flat spot to curl up in, but finding even that proved to be challenging.

Tip-hoofing around, she finally found an empty spot in a corner, trotting in a circle several times before lying down. Being cramped shouldn't have mattered to her any more, but it was still oddly uncomfortable. Closing her eyes, she tried to block out the muffled sound of the sea, managing to drift off to her dreamlike, half-sleep state after some time.

❅ ❆ ❅

"Agate?"

"Hrmf..."

Stretching, the filly faintly felt something running through her mane. Blinking, she got up, shaking her head to clear the fog from her mind. Seaweed was standing next her, running her hoof along Agate's back. The other ponies were awake as well, a good half of them already leaving, muttering their thanks to the owner of the house.

"Did you... Sleep well? You're usually very quick to wake up." Seaweed asked, sounding a bit unsure.

"I guess? Sleep is weird as a spirit. I don't exactly get tired and feel sleepy, but my thoughts get sluggish," Agate shrugged. "And I sleep lightly when I'm outside my totem."

"Well, if you're feeling tired, perhaps you could catch a nap on the umiak, if the rocking doesn't bother you. Either way, we're going to be moving out soon. Let's go, yes?"

Nodding, Agate followed the mare, slowly shuffling out of the dwelling. The other two members of their group were already outside, hitching themselves up to their sleighs. Seaweed followed suit, grimacing a bit as she attached the harness.

"Going to be so glad to be done with this for a while. No matter how I knot or tie them, the ropes always make me itch," She groused.

The others chuckled, grinning at their leader. "I'm sure you'll survive going a few paces down the beach," Harpoon teased, Wave Splash nodding along.

"Bleh," Seaweed rebutted eloquently, pulling the sleigh forward.

The lower levels of the bay were swarming with ponies, all of them preparing for the next leg of their journey in various ways. Small groups were checking the boats again in the pre-dawn gloom, while the others were sorting through the bits of cargo and equipment they brought with them. Most of them were carrying their empty sleighs into the same storage buildings the boats were kept in, the things clearly too large and bulky to take with them on their seaward journey.

While the others were still puttering around their boats, the ponies heading towards the same island - Shear, if Agate recalled correctly - were grinning in satisfaction, having done their maintenance the prior evening due to Agate's assistance. Greeting the filly with wide smiles and the usual titles of "kind, wise spirit", they hauled the boats along the sand, making their way to the dock - or pier, or whatever it was.

"By the way, Seaweed, you used an unfamiliar word before. What's an umiak?" Agate asked during a brief lull in activity, as one group of ponies ahead of them were loading their items into the boat.

"Oh? Ah, I see... You're really unfamiliar with sea travel. Well, an umiak is a large boat like this, meant to carry groups of a dozen or more ponies, along with their equipment," She explained, gesturing towards the one ahead. "And we have much smaller boats, for just one or two ponies. They're called kayaks. There's one right there."

Turning her head to where the mare was pointing, Agate saw a pony getting into a really thin, long boat, balancing carefully as he settled in, holding a long paddle in his mouth. Grabbing the tool with his hooves, he plunged it into the water, rocketing away with shocking speed. Blinking, she watched the surprisingly agile kayak align with the larger, slower-moving umiak that was launched before, escorting the boat along its path.

"They're fast," The filly remarked.

"They are, though it takes some skill to maneuver them properly without capsizing. Anyway, we're up next. Are you ready for your first journey by sea?"

"I guess? Is there anything I need to do?"

"Not really. Just hop in, we'll do the rest," The mare chuckled, patting the side of the boat.

Nodding, Agate followed the directions, observing the unfamiliar object. It was set down in the water, being held steady by a few ponies standing on the pier. Ponies still on land passed their items to the ones already inside, climbing in themselves afterwards. The lip of the boat was a bit high, so Agate had to hop upwards and hook her forelegs on the edge, clambering in. Feeling a little thrown off by the rocking from the waves, she moved out of the way of the busy adults, sitting down on a pile of cargo that was already secured.

Agate wasn't familiar with any of the other ponies going with them in any way, except for one. A young mare was sitting in the very front, leaning over the edge and gazing into the waters with an inscrutable expression. Agate didn't really know her, but she recognized her as one of the northerner shamares that she saw previously.

As more and more cargo and ponies were added to the boat, it sank deeper into the water, reaching an odd equilibrium between getting tossed about by the waves and holding steady. Paddles were handed out to roughly half of the passengers, which they used to push off the pier and maneuver themselves further away from the shore.

"Well, this is it. You lot better not tell me you forgot anything on the shore, because there's no going back now," An older stallion chuckled, the others smiling.

No one really spoke about it, but it was quite obvious that he was in charge of this boat, the ponies acting with familiarity. They clearly knew each other, which made sense, since they all lived on the same island. No orders or instructions needed to be exchanged, the ones with the paddles nodding and beginning to move in a synchronized fashion. The same thing played out on a larger scale as well, the other boats of the islanders from Shear forming up into a group as they paddled deeper into the bay, towards the open sea.

As the walls of the bay receded and they approached the endless expanse of waves, the shamare stuck her hoof in the water, concentrating on something as she swirled it around. The stallion and everyone else stopped, waiting for something. Knowing how shamares worked, it was likely some kind of mystical advice, or something to that effect. A few minutes later, she nodded, waving the dripping hoof. Agate noticed that the fur around her fetlocks had a bunch of salt crystals on it. How did that happen? Was it some strange shamare magic, or was sea water salty for some reason?

"No danger that I can sense. The currents are flowing along their usual paths. I think we are safe to proceed, elder," She spoke, dipping the hoof right back into the water.

"Thank you, Current Weave. Well, ponies, you heard her. Heave! Ho!" The stallion spoke, yelling out the last two commands.

As the ponies paddled, the name jostled something in Agate's memory. She faintly recalled a language lesson with the shamares, and learning to say that very name as one of the first snowpony words that she spoke. She wondered whether she should go up to the mare and say hello, but decided against it. She looked busy with her task, her gaze unfocused as she gleaned knowledge from the water.

Instead, the filly looked out towards the sea, sticking her head over the side. The sound of the crashing waves was almost gone, the only noises being the water flowing against the sides of the boat and the rhythmic splashes of the paddles. The wind was a little loud as well, but overall, actually being out at sea was surprisingly quieter compared to standing on the shore.

"Don't fall out," Harpoon cautioned her with a small smile. "You'll be fine, but we won't be able to fish you out."

"What... Would happen if I did?" Agate asked, tilting her head and looking straight down. Unlike the usually clear waters of lakes and creeks, the sea was dark and impenetrable to her gaze.

"You'll sink to the bottom," Harpoon succinctly summarized.

Seeing that her companion wasn't going to elaborate, Wave Splash rolled her eyes a little, turning towards the filly. "If you're asking what's it like down there, then, obviously, I don't know myself. No one truly knows, honestly. We only have the words of spirits that were lost at sea, and all they say the same thing - it's dark, creepy, and alien. You can't really see anything, even with your spirit sight. Some reported hearing strange sounds, ones they couldn't even describe properly. And the few that claimed they glimpsed creatures of the deep... Well, "bizarre" hardly begins to convey the oddness of the beings that call the seas home."

"Huh. Fish can get pretty weird looking, I guess," Agate muttered, thinking of the few specimens that she saw ponies eat.

"Hahaha! Fish? Oh, Agate, wait until you see an octopus. Or a squid. Or, oh! A jellyfish! Now that's a sight," Wave Splash laughed, shaking her head.

"Octo... What? I had crystalberry jelly before. But... Jelly-fish?"

The mare opened her mouth as if to explain, but after a moment's consideration, closed it again, shaking her head. Snorting, Harpoon spoke up. "They're really, really hard to describe in just words, Agate. You have to see them to really understand. Ponies and seals and even fish look a bit alike, to some extent. They all have eyes, mouths, faces, at the very least. Some of the stuff that lives down there, though... It's an entirely different world. We sometimes find things washed up on the shore that we can't make heads or tails of. Literally - we can't even tell which body part is what."

"Different world..." Agate trailed off, looking around at the endless expanse of water surrounding them on all sides, going who knows how deep.

The shore was already a thin line on the horizon, the boat gliding through the water at an impressive speed. The only other things that stood out in the sea were the other vessels, all of them keeping up a steady pace. After a few minutes of observation, though, she saw more signs of life. Flocks of unfamiliar birds were flying in the distance, diving into the water from time to time, probably catching fish. Strands of seaweed dotted the water here and there, and it was only the very surface of that alien world.

Although Agate didn't really know what else to say, the conversation that she dropped carried on, the northerners eagerly discussing all the weird stuff in the sea that they saw or heard about. Picking up where others left off, Seaweed scratched at her side, glancing at a few stray clouds in the distance. "I don't know, Wave, I think those thin, gangly crabs are pretty freaky-looking."

"What? Come on, crabs make sense, at least. They're like... Underwater spiders, or something. Jellyfish are way weirder."

"Octopi, crabs. All of you keep talking about small stuff. What about narwhals? Those horns look crazy dangerous. It's a good thing they're not aggressive, or we'd have so many holes poked into our boats," An unfamiliar mare chimed in.

As usual in situations like these, Agate remained quiet and listened, being completely out of her depth. Not that she minded, observing the sea with both ears perked and pointed back to the boat. The journey continued on, the team of six paddlers switching out with the other six ponies after a few hours, the tired but satisfied group munching on their preserves.

Sunlight came and went, though for once, the travelers seemed happier to see the stars than daylight, pointing out some constellations and adjusting their course accordingly. Agate didn't even know how much time they spent in the boat, but it had to have been the better part of the day.

Finally, they reached an island, the flock of boats congregating in one spot, the ponies that were previously paddling furiously now gently maneuvering the boats closer to land. Once they felt the sand rubbing against the bottom, the passengers disembarked one by one from the front, grabbing a few packs of belongings and hissing sharply as they landed in the freezing seawater. Working together, they carried the boats further onto the sand, breathing heavily after all the exertions.

"Is this... Shear?" Agate asked, glancing around.

"Mmm, no, not yet," Seaweed replied, followed by a long yawn. "This one's called Gull Island. We still have two day's worth of travel, at least. Fortunately, we don't call this region the "Thousand Islands" for nothing. There's plenty of little islands to stop and rest in along the way. Sure beats sleeping in the boat. Anyway, I'm beat. Let's get some shuteye."

Agate nodded, glancing back at the splashing waves. Following the tired ponies deeper inland, she found a spot to curl up in while they pitched their tents and sleeping bags.

❅ ❆ ❅

The tired travelers took their time to have a well-earned rest the next morning, sleeping in quite late. They weren't the only group on the island, another batch of boats arriving right when everyone was getting ready to sleep. Apparently, they actually were the regular inhabitants of the island instead of just stopping to rest, which caused some amusement to Agate's group due to the fact that they managed to arrive first.

"Hardy har har, very funny. We didn't have a spirit light up the night for us to get our boats ready early," The leader of the group grumbled after being "welcomed as a guest" to his own island.

Still, both groups were rather tired, so they went to sleep with just the bare minimum of joking at each other's expense. When morning came, they all ate together, wished each other kindness from the water and wind spirits, keen eyes and full nets on their fishing trips, hugged each other, and parted ways.

The journey continued on much in the same way as the day before. Teams of ponies kept paddling in shifts, the half that was resting spending the time in idle conversation or even sleeping somehow on the bottom of the rocking boat. It wasn't entirely unlike a journey through the wilderness, though it was still a bit strange to Agate. She wondered if pegasi felt this way when they were in the air, gliding from cloud to cloud. Were they afraid that they'd fall out of the sky and get eaten by strange land predators if they didn't find a safe cloud island to land on?

Fortunately for the snowponies, there was truly no shortage of islands, though not all of them were hospitable. Some were little more than jagged rocks sticking out of the water, dangerous to even get close to lest the boat crashed into a submerged boulder or something similar. Judging by some of the names, such as "Bird Poop Rock", the northerners tended to let their foals name the useless islands. No one knew who started the tradition, but they all happily carried it on. Not that the name was wrong - the island was, in fact, a rock that was thoroughly covered in bird poop, to the point it was hard to even tell what color the stone was.

They rested the second day on an island that they called "The Horn". There was clearly some significance to every name, but given how many islands the northerners discovered, no one really knew the stories of any but the biggest and most important island's names, let alone the tiny islets that they only used as rest stops or temporary fishing spots.

Although the crew were clearly tired and bedraggled from the intense pace they were travelling at, there was not a single complaint from any of the ponies. Quite the opposite, in fact - they were overtaken with a ferocious energy to reach their homes, eagerly sniffing the sea air and pointing out the various landmarks (seamarks?) that they passed by, dropping short comments about how close to their island they were getting.

With that attitude, they were paddling energetically once more as soon as they ate, with little to no conversation this time, focusing entirely on either resting or moving the boats forward. Seaweed briefly explained that the last stretch of the journey was possible to make in one day, but only if the winds were favorable and didn't churn up the waves or blow them off course, and even then, they had to give it their all, which meant little to no talking.

Agate had no issues with that, assuming her post on the edge of the boat, gazing across the vast expanse of waves. Her thoughts wandered, at first about Snowpitt and the familiar ponies that she left behind, but as they got closer and closer to their goal, she couldn't help but think about the point of this entire expedition. She was coming along to prospect the islands for more crystals, something she'd never actually done before, at least on purpose. Inevitably, small doubts began niggling at her, making her wonder whether she'd actually be able to recreate the same thing she did back under the mountain.

Fortunately for her, the shamaric training she went through included ways to calm and control your emotions, not just your mind. Focusing on her "breath", the filly stabilized herself internally, opening her eyes after a few minutes of calming herself and working through her doubts. Seeing that she was meditating anyway, she kept focusing, her eyes beginning to glow faintly. The sea still looked more or less the same through her spirit sight, save for a few glimmers in the depths that she wasn't even sure weren't tricks of the light. Regardless, she kept it up, deciding to get some practice in before they arrived at their destination.

Time started blending together, the filly lost in her meditation and the crew entirely consumed with nothing but the repeating pattern of splash, splash, splash, as they kept pushing onward. Daylight came and went without anyone even noticing. Eventually, something happened to break them out of their haze, but it wasn't them reaching their destination. At first, a strong wind began blowing in from the northeast, making the paddlers grit their teeth as the sea became agitated. Dark clouds appeared on the horizon, with a few loose snowflakes getting blown their way. The waves rose far higher than before, lifting them up and down wildly, and the weather wasn't the only obstacle to impede their progress.

"Something's approaching," Current Weave spoke, the first words in the entire day.

No other pony said anything, though every single one of them immediately tensed up. The elderly stallion began digging in a pouch, pulling out a bone whistle of some kind and blowing hard into it, producing a shrill shriek that cut through even the howling wind. The other boats, which kept to a safe distance during the journey, began congregating closer at the signal.

"We need to go. Shelter, now," The shamare said firmly, turning to look the elder in the eyes with a frown.

"Alright. Well, you heard her, ponies. Looks like we're not making it home yet. Better than getting eaten, though. Turn! To the west, towards Respite! Quickly now, Current Weave felt something in the water!" The stallion yelled to both his crew and the other boats, the paddlers quickly getting to work.

Agate wanted to ask what was happening, but she recognized that it was not the time for questions, and she could infer sufficient information from the shamare's warning, anyway. Something was hunting them, and they had few options besides landing on firm ground. Feeling a bit useless, she gripped the boat tighter, resolving to at least remain quiet and not get underhoof for any pony.

Current Weave dipped both forelegs into the water this time, splashing around and whispering something under her breath. Agate didn't even know how she knew that the mare was whispering, what with the loud wind and all, but she could swear she heard indistinct mutters coming from her direction. From the corner of her eyes, she could see ephemeral shapes flitting about the shamare, swarming around her forelegs and dancing in the water. One moment, they would look like fish, and the other, they would... Not.

The sea seemed to start working with them instead of against them a little more, the waves pushing the boats forward in the direction they were going in, instead of tossing them side to side. More ponies joined in the paddling, grabbing a few spare paddles and beating at the water. Those that didn't equipped themselves with harpoons instead, their expressions grim and fierce, ready to throw at the tiniest sign of a threat. The other boats still maintained a close distance, the other crews similarly prepared.

Harpoon, gripping her namesake weapon fiercely, kept scanning the horizon, until she yelled out suddenly. "I see it! Keep going, we're practically in safe waters already!"

Putting on a burst of speed, the paddlers pushed on, aiming towards a dark spot, illuminated faintly by the moonlit sky. Although the island appeared "close", distances in the sea could be deceptive, and they still needed to push on fiercely for almost half an hour until they finally relaxed with deep groans, collapsing on the bottom of the boat, the island now in full view.

"Um, are we safe yet? We're still in the water," Agate asked timidly.

"We are, traveler spirit," Current Weave confirmed, both forelegs still deep in the sea. "There are many underwater rocks around here, and the sea is relatively shallow. A beast of the size that was passing by couldn't follow us here without impaling itself."

"Passing by? So it wasn't actually after us?"

"Who can say? As you heard from others, we know precious little just how many and what kinds of creatures call the depths home. There are a number of stories about ponies that lost their lives at sea, but once questioned about the circumstances, they could tell almost nothing about what kind of creature it was, save for massive jaws suddenly closing over their boats. It does not happen often at all, but still, we find it best to avoid any of the leviathans of the deep, if we ever feel them surfacing," The mare explained, her face practically touching the water.

"I see..." Agate trailed off, going quiet again.

The crew was panting, clearly exhausted from the sudden sprint after an already long journey. Putting her weapon down, Harpoon took a paddle from Wave Splash, slowly pushing the vessel forward. After the elderly stallion looked at the other boats and made sure that they didn't lose any, he took another paddle, balancing out the forces as the pair slowly pushed the boat closer towards the shore.

The fleet slowly limped their way across the water, landing on the beach with a barely noticeable bump. Groaning and grumbling, ponies flopped out of the boats, getting splashed by the fierce waves as they dragged the vessels deeper onshore. Despite clearly being exhausted and in a foul mood, they still took their time to make absolutely sure their transport was secured before moving deeper inland.

"Hope this storm clears up by tomorrow, at least," Wave Splash grumbled, picking up a piece of driftwood in her mouth.

"We'll see. It's not too bad, though. With a good rest, I'm sure we can get to Shear even through these waves, as long as they don't get worse. We'd get soaked, but the island's real close now," The elder reassured her.

Agate glanced at the stallion dubiously. To her, the weather looked horrid, with the storm blowing droplets of freezing water and half-melted snowflakes almost sideways at the ponies, the clouds that were on the horizon now almost on top of them. Still, she didn't really know just what, precisely, constituted a type of weather that was too bad to travel by sea, seeing as she spent all her life under a magical shield that kept everything nice and sunny, so she didn't question him.

The quietly grumbling snowponies moved deeper inland, dragging their tired legs across the dunes. Unlike the rocky islands they saw on their way, this one had a fair bit of sand accumulated on it, which allowed for a sparse layer of grass to grow. Some of the ponies glanced longingly at the blades of grass now and then, but they all looked yellowed and dry, the stalks likely remaining there from last year.

The island was one of the smaller ones, and it didn't take long for the travelers to reach their destination. Among the dunes, a number of boulders protruded from the sand, their surfaces smoothed down by the wind. At a closer look, some of the bigger ones were hollowed out, while the small ones were stacked together, providing shelter from the wind and rain. There was barely enough space for a pony to crawl inside on their belly, but they didn't seem to mind, picking gaps under the rocks and wiggling inside.

"Come on in, Agate. We're not going anywhere for a while," Seaweed waved the filly over.

"It's okay, I don't really need shelter. I don't want to take up space for no reason," She shook her head, glancing around.

"You won't, silly, now come on. It's bigger on the inside," The mare reassured her, before diving into a tiny entrance made of three square boulders stacked together.

"Alright...?"

Crawling in, Agate glanced around. As it turned out, it wasn't just a mini-cave for a pony to lay down in like she assumed at first, but instead, it was a passage to a small underground chamber, with enough space for about four or five ponies, including a tiny campfire. The three mares from her guide team were there, with Current Weave tagging along. Wave Splash was adding minuscule bits of dried grass and splinters of wood to the fire, which seemed to have been built more for a morale boost than warmth.

"Oh, I see. It's kind of like an igloo," Agate surmised, glancing at the dome-like ceiling of the chamber, made of intricately stacked rocks, with sand and roots filling the gaps.

"Yup. No one really settled this place, but it's a good location to stop and rest between fishing trips," Seaweed explained, trying to wring some moisture out of her coat.

"Why didn't anyone? The northern tribe keeps running out of space, right?"

"The catch is a bit poor around the island. Can't build a proper house here, either. Too sandy, and too flat. If you build higher, the wind blows against it like a neverending howl, and if you dig deeper, the sand just seeps in, and so does the water. While we can live in temporary shelters and tents, it does get tiring after a while. The grass that grows here is nice, though. Seaweed is fine, but a pony does need some variety in their diet," She elaborated, giving up on the task and unrolling her bedroll.

"I see. Thanks," Agate nodded, getting a sleepy nod in return.

All four of the adults were clearly exhausted, including Current Weave, despite the fact the mare remained immobile for most of the day. Agate knew how tiring magic could be, though. And then, there was the fact that the shamare kept dipping her hooves into the freezing water, which had to be unpleasant. Both of her forelegs were covered in salt crystals, and she was warming them by the fire.

One by one, the other mares set up their sleeping spots as well, lying down with quiet "goodnights". Following their example, Agate went to sleep as well.

❅ ❆ ❅

The next day, there was no rush to get back to the boats. It didn't seem to be raining or snowing any more, but the wind was still present, a low, persistent howl that would stop for a brief moment only to start up again immediately after. Agate's group had a lazy morning of it, Wave Splash venturing out towards the beach to bring more bits of driftwood to start a new fire with, while the others brought more dried grass or went to talk to the others about the situation.

This briefly left Agate alone with Current Weave, the young shamare nodding at the filly as she brushed some of the salt from her coat. "Good morning, traveler spirit. I hope the journey is not unpleasant for you, so far from your totem. A great many ponies from the other tribes tend to get sick if they travel by sea, as well. I am glad to see that it, at least, does not seem to be a concern for you, for obvious reasons."

"Sick, really? Yeah, no, I'm fine. I don't mind travelling from Snowpitt, either."

"Unusual, but many things about you are. Most spirits tend to linger because they are reluctant to leave kin and tribe behind, and they stay in one place until they decide to depart. I know you seek your people, but the north is the last place likely to have answers to that riddle."

"Well, I'm here to look for crystals, not crystal ponies, so I'm aware of that. Your people helped me a bunch already, and I'm happy to help back. And Mom always said that I was the "quiet, curious and observant type". I guess I do like seeing new places, if that's what she meant by that," The filly replied with a shrug.

"Mmm. Differing goals... Curious indeed. Well, I'm certain that others have told you this already, but we highly appreciate your aid. Providing the spirit stones has become a point of pride for my tribe over the years."

"And like I keep telling everyone, I'm happy to help. You don't have to keep thanking me all the time," Agate said, crossing her forelegs.

The pair stared at each other for a solid minute before both of them chuckled, Agate letting out a little giggle. The mare went back to massaging her forelegs, while the filly's thoughts went to ways of finding crystals again. Getting an idea, she began focusing on her spirit sight, opening her eyes wider and scanning the ground.

Either it wasn't working, or there were no crystals on this particular island. Sticking her tongue out and keeping her focus up, she slowly got up and went outside, keeping her eyes trained on the earth. She was shaken briefly by the suddenly much louder howl of the wind, but refocused quickly, and went back to scanning the dunes.

Trotting around, she could see the glowing shapes of the ponies that were resting in the little underground shelters dug into the dunes, but no angular forms of crystals. It was quite obvious that the sand wasn't going to be hiding any of them, but none of the boulders that dotted the landscape contained any, either.

"Oh well... Nothing ventured... How'd the rest of that go?"

Figuring that she'd notice if the snowponies decided to depart due to how small the island was, she decided to wander around a little bit. Overall, the landscape was rather unremarkable, but it still intrigued Agate, seeing as it was still quite outlandish to her. Glancing left and right, she looked for the highest point, wanting to get a good vantage spot. It turned out to be a bit of a tall order, since the island really was flat. Shrugging, she picked a large-ish boulder, clambering on top.

More of the sandy landscape spread out before her, with little variation. Pursing her lips, Agate felt her curiosity wane a little. Weighing her options, she decided to go back to her guides, instead. Exploring was interesting, but she was on an official mission of sorts, with lots of adults involved. Putting on a more serious face, she hopped down from the boulder and turned around.

"Guess I shouldn't wander off unless they say it's okay, like when we were in Nilas..."

When she reentered the underground shelter, there was a slightly bigger fire this time, with all three of her guides lying around it. Current Weave was either snoozing or meditating, while the others were eating some dried fish that was wrapped in fresh-looking seaweed.

"Hey Agate," Seaweed spoke quietly. "Went to look around? Find anything interesting?"

"Not really. Just sand and boulders. The island is a bit... Plain," The filly replied with a shrug, sitting down next to the fire.

"Honestly, most locations in the north are. There's no massive mountains or ancient forests like in the south or west. The really interesting stuff is the wild spirits and creatures that roam the place, though... Well, there's a few spots of note here and there, like the hot springs in the islands further north. And Shear's spirit stone deposits, of course," The mare finished with a smile.

"When are we going there?"

"Bit later in the day. The storm ran its course, and though it'll be windy for a while yet, we're really close to the island now. We'll rest a bit more, then paddle like mad straight there."

"Alright."

The rest of the trip went by without any more surprises or close brushes with unknown creatures of the deep. After resting quietly for a few more hours, the travelers swiftly packed up the few belongings they brought with them, eagerly carrying their boats back out to sea and setting off after a very brief confirmation of their bearings.

The waves still tossed them up and down, but there was no rain or snow, and the powerful strokes of the paddles by the determined ponies carried them towards their destination at an impressive speed. Sunlight came, longer and longer with each passing day, which allowed them to see their goal as they approached. The sight of the island brought cheers from every single boat, the journey's end finally there.

Agate tilted her head curiously as they got closer. Shear was described as "very flat and rocky" to her, which made her imagine a terrain that was as flat as the surface of a table, barely above the water. Neither one of those things turned out to be entirely true, though. The island looked like a flat hill that actually sat at a fair height above the water, the sheer cliffs reminding her of the shore around Nilas, including a small bay that they were maneuvering into.

The bay looked like it couldn't even fit the dozens of boats in it and the cliffs weren't half as tall as those around Nilas, but the resemblance was still there. The one marked difference was the rocky beach that barely contained any sand, and was covered in pebbles and rocks of all sizes, instead. They crunched loudly under the hooves of the snowponies as they disembarked one by one, unloading their cargo with wide smiles and stacking their gear on their backs.

The process took much longer than the previous stops, since they were emptying all their stuff and taking it with them, but Agate wasn't in a rush to get anywhere. She waited patiently while the adults sorted everything out, circling the bay a few times and examining the pebbly beach and cliffs. The stone looked different than the one in the southern mountains, but she didn't know enough about it to even tell what kind of rock it was. Eventually, the travelers were ready to move, Seaweed approaching the filly with a wide smile.

"Well, Agate, let me officially welcome you to Shear!" The mare exclaimed merrily, waving across the bay in a grand gesture.

"Thank you. I can see why you say that this island is rocky. Even the beach is made of rocks," Agate replied, glancing at the boulder she was sitting on.

"Heh! True, though things have changed a little over the many years that we've been living here. We... Well, you'll see for yourself. Ready to go?" She asked, huffing a little at the weight of all the stuff she was carrying on her back.

"Of course. Lead the way."

Wave Splash and Harpoon joined them a moment later, their hoofsteps crunching loudly on the pebbles as the similarly cargo-laden mares made their way up the incline towards the cliffs. Seaweed took point, Agate easily hopping from rock to rock with her supernatural weightlessness while the adults had to step more carefully. There was a path cut into the rock to make it easier, but it was still somewhat steep.

As they reached the top, Agate curiously looked at the terrain spread out before her. Great patches of snow still covered much of the surface, though it wasn't very deep. She couldn't see any actual soil in any of the spots that were clear, but there was still plant life clinging to the surface. Vast carpets of moss and lichen were peeking out from under the snow, and she could even see the few forms of small, hardy bushes here and there.

There wasn't an obvious trail or path, but Seaweed clearly knew where to go. They weren't the first or the only ones to move out, ponies of all kinds making the same journey both in front and behind them. Though the boat Agate travelled on only contained adults, there was no shortage of families with foals, the younglings shrieking happily and running in circles around the grownups after having to sit still during the entire voyage.

Glancing backwards towards the bay, Agate considered the entire journey so far. The sea was interesting, and watching the waves splash on the shore was hypnotizing, but she decided that she preferred solid ground under her hooves, even if the deep water couldn't pose any actual danger to her.

It wasn't a very long trot to the village, but compared to the smaller islands that they camped on, Shear was quite large. After some time, Agate realized that she couldn't even hear the constant sound of crashing waves that accompanied her during the entire journey by sea any more. The howl of the wind was still present, though.

"Well, here we are. What do you think, Agate?" Seaweed asked, gesturing at the sight ahead of her.

"It's... Different," The filly said slowly, taking it in.

There was a natural depression in the rock ahead of them, roughly at the center of the island. It wasn't very deep, only about the height of an adult pony, though there were deeper holes here and there. It was rather wide, however, stretching on quite far into the distance. It was quite clear that the local inhabitants and their ancestors have done quite a lot of work to make it more suitable for habitation over the generations. There were channels cut into the rock for water to drain away, and a rather thick wall of stacked rocks circling the north and east sides of the depression.

Then, there were the subterranean homes. It was impossible to tell what the insides looked like, but from the outside, the entrances looked fairly impressive. The doors themselves were still narrow, but the thick walls looked very solid, the stones somehow bound together with some kind of gray, stone-like material. The typical snowpony runes covered the surfaces around the doors, and there were pictures of various northern animals drawn on many of the walls in some kind of mineral-based paint. A number of holes in the ground with covers over them dotted the spots further away from the entrances, most likely vents or chimneys.

"So, you really live underground, huh?" Agate asked after a few minutes of observation.

"We do, though no, we don't live in caves like animals, unlike what some ponies seem to believe," Seaweed chuckled, shaking her head. "There's plenty of space inside our homes, and they're very neat and well-built. Our ancestors chipped away at the rock bit by bit for many generations, and through their combined efforts, we're left with some very sturdy and solid homes. Come on, let's go, you'll see for yourself. Well, it gets dark inside so it might be a bit hard to see, but that's the only downside, really," Seaweed explained, eagerly leading Agate across the village.

"Eh. After a while of living in the same place, you don't even need light any more. I can find my way just fine with my eyes closed," Harpoon added.

The mares lead Agate to their home, which was sealed up for the winter, much like the homes and storages back in Nilas. While they moved a few rocks that were blocking the door, a stallion approached them, examining the group. He reminded Agate of the elder that was in charge of their boat, but at a closer look, he turned out to be a different pony. He did look fairly old as well, though, his entire coat and mane a bleached gray and his face wrinkled,

"Well well well. You four must be the group the chieftain told me about," The stallion spoke, looking at Agate with unabashed fascination.

"Oh! Elder! Didn't see you there," Seaweed twitched, quickly whirling around to face the stallion, Harpoon and Wave Splash stopping what they were doing as well.

"Well then, I guess I still got it in my old age," He chuckled raspily. "Mind if I borrow your spirit guide while you're busy here?"

"No, not at all. Agate, this is Silent Hoof, the elder of the village. We're going to be a little busy for a while setting everything up, so go with him, alright?" Seaweed asked, getting back to work.

"Okay. Hello, elder," The filly nodded, greeting him politely.

"Pleasure to meet you, youngling. We have a few things to talk about, I think? Well, not necessarily, but I think we do... Either way, right this way, right this way," He rambled a bit as he led Agate away, towards another part of the village.

The entrance of the house he led her to seemed rather ornate, though Agate didn't really know what all the symbols, windchimes and decorations meant. Trotting through the thick wooden doors, he went down some stone stairs into a rather impressive underground room. The ceiling was a bit low, but it was quite wide overall, with a fireplace burning merrily in the wall to the right. A table with six chairs was set up on the left side, and there was some kind of painting that covered the entire wall. Both the floor and the walls were as smooth as the ones in the crystal houses, which intrigued Agate. The snowponies never said they had the same abilities of stone manipulation that her people had for crystals, after all.

"Right, right! Let's see then. This is a bit over my head, honestly, but I'm sure we can sort this out," Silent Hoof mused, trotting over to the fireplace and warming his forelegs.

"I'm sorry, elder, but... Sort what out? Is there some kind of problem?" Agate asked, a bit confused by the stallion's language.

Blinking, the stallion shook his head. "Oh no, no. My apologies, I suppose I'm getting a bit muddled in my old age. You see, we're not used to dealing with spirits, you know? That's usually left up to the shamares. And the guardians tend to stick to their families and kin, so I'm a bit out of my depth here. All I know is what the chieftain told me."

"Seaweed said something similar. You don't really need to... Do anything for me, though. I'm the one who's meant to be doing things here, I think," Agate mused, rubbing her chin.

"Yes yes, of course," He chuckled, waving a hoof. "Technically, I didn't even need to talk to you. I've been told that Seaweed and her companions would report to me, and I would be able to direct the ambitious diggers into new deposits that you'd uncover, as well as mark the islands that also might have spirit stones hidden underneath the ground. It just seemed terribly rude, though, you know? Not greeting a guest to my island! Especially one going out of their way to help us like this. Terribly, terribly rude. I might be old, but I can do that much," He began rambling a bit again.

"Oh, well, thank you, elder, I appreciate it. I'll get to looking around as soon as possible. Is there, uh... Anywhere specific you want me to look?"

Tilting his head, the stallion considered the spirit. "I don't know. I got the impression that you were the expert in spirit- Hm. What do your people call them, again? Crystals?"

"Um, kind of? Compared to the average snowpony, I guess... My parents taught me about the qualities and the uses, though, not mining. Digging through the ground and putting the stuff you dig out to use are entirely different skill sets. I think I'd like to see your mines first, if I could? Even if they're depleted. I'd like to see the sort of rock that crystals tend to appear in."

"Of course, of course! You can do that, easily. A lot of the homes have entrances into the tunnels. It's where we used to - and still do - store food, after all. It's what they were originally dug out for. I'm sure just about everyone would gladly let you in to take a look around, though there's other entrances, too. And, here! After you're done sniffing around Shear, well, there's no shortage of islands to look through," He chuckled, getting up and going towards the opposite wall.

The painting on the wall that was partially hidden by the table turned out to be a map. The light from the fireplace wasn't entirely sufficient to see it fully, but even in the dim light, Agate was able to see dozens of locations and markings. Scanning it intently, she tried to figure out where Shear was, but had to give up after a few minutes. The map was crammed with islands, which either meant that they skipped through a great many of them on the way there, or the scale of it was quite large.

"Where's Shear?"

"Hm? Oh, silly me, of course you wouldn't know. My apologies. Right here," He said, tapping an island that was a bit closer to the floor.

Nodding, Agate looked through the map again. Now that she knew where she was and where she came from (Nilas and the continent were marked on the map too, near the very bottom), she tried tracing her route through the sea. It wasn't easy, but she thought she found where Gull Island, The Horn, and Respite were. Mentally marking the last island with a note of "no crystals there", she counted the ones that were closest to Shear.

"That's... A LOT of islands, alright... I don't think there's a thousand here, but..."

"Oh? Well, that's not the entire map of the north, of course! Not that anyone's claiming there's exactly a thousand islands in the northern sea, heh. But, this was made... Hmm, some time after Shear was properly settled, but before we ventured all that much further north. There's more islands to the west and east, too! And the settled ones have maps that extend further along the direction you're travelling."

"That's a bit overwhelming. We lived in one valley, and we did just fine. How do you keep track of them all?" Agate shook her head, her mind spinning.

"Well, honestly, we don't. The families that live on their islands know of their closest neighbors and their surroundings, and those neighbors know their surroundings, and so on. I don't think... There's any northerner that knows or has been to every island," He shrugged, considering the parts of the map depicting the world further away from Shear.

"Well... One island at a time, I guess," Agate mused.

"Exactly!" Silent Hoof replied brightly, patting her on the head. "Feel free to come in and take a look at the map any time - my doors are always open. Don't feel rushed, either - explore the other islands at your own pace. And whenever you find something, I'll be here."

Agate nodded, considering her entire mission. She still needed to get her bearings in Shear first and foremost before she could even think about going to other islands. She began thinking of how to politely say goodbye and excuse herself, wanting to go back to Seaweed. Fortunately for the filly, that question solved itself. A mare poked her head into the room from the door leading deeper in, glancing around.

"Good evening, traveler spirit," She greeted Agate before turning towards Silent Hoof. "Come on, father, it's been a long day of travel already. Let's get you to bed, and you can entertain your guests more tomorrow."

Rolling his eyes, the stallion grumbled a bit. "You know, I still remember the times you'd refuse to go to bed, you ornery filly. Why should I listen to you now? I'm still your elder, you know."

"Because we're at that point in our ages where the elders start getting taken care of by their descendants, including getting dragged to bed by force, if needed," She replied with a grin.

"You cheeky... Fff-fine. Well, Agate, I believe we discussed everything we needed to, anyway. You have free reign of the island, with my permission and my blessing. Feel free to poke your nose wherever you want to. Best of luck. Lots of ponies were very happy when they heard how you offered your help. No pressure, though!" He smiled kindly, nodding goodbye.

"I'll be sure to tell you as soon as I find anything. Good night, elder," She nodded back, turning around.

It wasn't hard to find the way back towards Seaweed's and the other's shared home. Walking through the door and down the stairs, Agate looked at the room. It was much plainer and smaller than Silent Hoof's, likely because it wasn't intended for meetings and discussions. The only noticeable features were the fireplace and a pair of shelves tucked into the corners, stacked with clay jars and various knick-knacks. Three more doors, one in each wall, led to other rooms.

The mares had finished tidying up and unpacking their belongings, resting near the fire with steaming cups in hoof. Wave Splash noticed Agate's faintly glowing form, raising her cup in toast and getting the attention of the others. "Welcome to our humble abode, Agate. Sorted everything out with the elder?"

"Yeah, I think so. I'm ready to start whenever you are."

"Then we'll start first thing in the morning, after a good night's rest. Let's get some shut-eye, I'm sure we're going to be trotting around lots and lots tomorrow."

Comments

[Spacemarine64]

Yay, another chapter. I was just scanning for anything good, couldn't find anything. Checked one more time and boom, Agate's vigil. Thank you for such a wonderful story.

[Wingnut]

11487491
You're welcome. Not much plot in this chapter, but have to get from point A to point B before the exciting stuff can happen.

[Danger Noodle]

I immediately went for the next button, and was immediately left with longing for more. Looking forward to more!

[StarzGecko]

Man, she is going to explore a lot of places for years I bet. I wonder if she will come across with Sea Ponies since they have to be nearby out there in the oceans. Also, having giant sea monsters like the leviathan is definitely a plus! After all no weapon is able to hurt it so it would be interesting to see what it thinks of the little spirit filly.

Oh man, can’t wait for her to be mind blown what’s in the sea

[SirCarrot]

The Polynesian northern ponies are pretty sweet.

[new55]

That was a good chapter goodluck with the next one.

[CleanSweep]

The worldbuilding of this story goes above and beyond. You've got a fantastic thing going here!

[Bones_]

11488094
More like the Inuit of the Arctic Archipelago.