Oaths And Secrets
In the future, thinking back to that moment, Agate often questioned herself whether there was anything she could have done differently to prevent that outcome, but couldn't really come up with a reasonable argument. Despite her nascent dreamwalking powers, her dreams didn't carry any premonitions or glimpses into various possibilities, and she hadn't noticed anything in the waking world, either.
"How? What happened?" She hurriedly asked, a sudden gust of wind tossing her mane about.
"A... Monster of some kind dragged her off into the depths. That was yesterday. Even with all her power, even if she won against it, I don't think she's capable of breathing underwater. The warriors waited and circled the area in their kayaks, waiting for her to surface. She did not," Wind Whisper explained, looking at a nondescript patch of water.
"Monster of some kind? I know there's lots of weird stuff in the sea, but I thought your tribe is already familiar with most of them... At least this close to the shore, anyway. Ponies have been living by the shore long before they took to the waves, right?" Agate continued, shaking her mane out of her face.
"That is correct, but... It wasn't a normal creature. I wasn't the one who saw it happen, though. The sentry could describe it better than me," She said, pointing to a stallion examining his kayak.
Feeling their gazes on him, the stallion looked up, trotting over to the pair. He wasn't one of her followers, but Agate still recognized him, having learned the names of every pony in the expeditionary group during the time spent on the Battle Glacier.
"What happened, Coarse Coat?"
"It was a day like any other. A ritual like any other. Thundersnow said that she needed to talk to the water spirits, to adjust our course a bit. Nothing seemed out of place. I was standing a small distance away from her, looking out for any more birds and suchlike while she splashed her hooves in the water. Then, she started muttering something. I think I heard her say "What do you think you're doing back here?". Shamares often say strange things when they're communing with the spirits, so I didn't think much of it. I only knew that something was wrong when she gasped in pain. I immediately turned towards her, but it was already too late. She was getting dragged into the water, and I could only see the faintest image of the monster before it dove into the deeps with a splash."
"So what was so unusual about the monster?"
Grimacing, the stallion rubbed the side of his head. "It was like a shark, but at the same time, it was not. It was as if it couldn't decide what animal it wanted to be. It had the body of a shark - at least the head, from what I could see - but it also had bird's legs and claws. There were four of them, and they were coming out of the sides of its jaws and the top of its head. It used them to grab on to Thundersnow, and it was clearly very effective. She was gone faster than I could blink. Strangest damned thing I ever saw."
"I... Have heard stories about shapeshifters before..." Agate mused, forcing her flowing mane down with a foreleg.
Wind Whisper nodded, her expression pensive. "Indeed, there are many tales about strange beings that have shapeshifting powers similar to yours, but ones they can use just as easily on their flesh, rather than spirit. Supposedly, they like pretending to be other animals, and even ponies on occasion. This is the first time I heard about one taking on such a strange form, but it clearly knew what it was doing, given how quickly it dispatched Thundersnow. I never heard of them getting captured or anyone being able to call on them, though... So I don't think this could have been the westerner's doing."
"I... Well. There's nothing else to do, then. So much for all my - pfff! - plans. Not that I had many," Agate sighed, spitting out a stray bit of mane that got blown into her mouth.
"We heard about those," Stout spoke up from behind her. "Spear Whittle and the others from your group told us about the missives you sent the chieftain. Damned shame we were getting so close to a peaceful resolution, only for it all to come crashing down days before it could be done. No clue what's going to happen now."
"Do you think I did the right thing, Stout? Should I have tried something else?"
After a long moment of thinking, the old stallion shrugged. "If I had seen any alternative pathways, I would have suggested them. Contacting the chieftain was clever, and yes, it was the right thing to do, I believe. I'm honestly not sure what I would have done myself. Over the years, there were times when shamares saved both my life and the lives of my kin and companions with their magics. This, debacle, though... If the chieftain showed up in person and ordered me to subdue Thundersnow, I think I might have just followed that order. Too late to talk about what if's, however. We need to deal with the right now, and right now, we need to get to safety. Thundersnow is dead, but our enemies are not, and if they send more attacks towards us, it won't end well for the rest of the ponies here."
"He's right, Agate. I can't pick up and continue where Thundersnow left off. I learned so, so much during the time I spent with her, but... It is still far too heavy of a load for me to bear. Every single time that I felt I unlocked a new level of strength, a step above what I was the day before, things would just escalate two steps higher. We have to go," Wind Whisper agreed, bowing her head.
"Hey, I'm not judging you or saying you should stay. Get the heck out of here, and don't- Grrrr! What's with this wind?" Agate grumbled, brushing her mane out her eyes.
Wind Whisper blinked at that, raising her head and staring at Agate with curiosity. Trotting closer, she gently brushed her hoof across Agate's mane, her ears perking and turning every which way. Agate just stood there, confused at the whole thing, until she realized something. The wind never really affected her, not her mane, nor when she was flying through rough weather. This was something else. This was magic.
"Wind Whisper? What's going on?" She asked, suddenly nervous.
"The tuurngait... They whisper..."
Agate recognized the term. They were a shamare's helping spirits, ones that often stayed by their side and could be quickly called upon in an emergency. Unlike the spirits that required effort and rituals to call upon, they were not very powerful, but they were always ready to help, sometimes whispering little bits of advice or secrets into the shamare's ears and guiding them along in dire situations, or so they claimed.
Agate never had any herself, but she did hear a few personal accounts from the shamares that she talked to over the years. And from those stories, she gathered that getting little tugs and pulls on your mane or ears was a method that was favored by some of the tuurngait when they wanted to guide you to some destination. Usually, it was towards a lost pony or something similar that the shamare was trying to find. In this case, Agate could only guess that someone wanted her to find them.
"Can you... Tell me what they're saying?"
"Mmm... No. Nothing but your title. Traveler spirit. All I can tell is that you're being called upon, by... Someone. At first, I assumed it might be Thundersnow, but I don't recognize these spirits."
"And they're leading me towards... Let's see," Agate said with a slight frown, slowly turning in a circle and observing which way the wind was pulling her mane.
"South... Southwest," Wind Whisper breathed. "Straight towards the westerner's territory."
"Hrm..."
"Are you... Going to go?"
"Well... Even if this is some kind of trap, what's the worst they could do to me, really?"
"I don't know, but the westerners have employed some very cunning tricks against us. Be on your guard."
"I will. It doesn't take much concentration for me to just fly off, though. I think I'm going to be fine."
Trotting to the edge of the ice floe, Agate looked into the waves, pursing her lips and looking down before raising her head again, looking towards where the spirits were pulling her. Following behind her, Wind Whisper tilting her head at Agate's actions.
"Were you thinking of going down there? To look for Thundersnow?"
"I was, actually. I know some spirits get stuck on the bottom of the sea if they perish there, and have to wait for the Calling to see the way out. But... Even if she is there, then there's not much I can do for her anyway. This summoning, however, seems important."
"I don't think Thundersnow would become lost. She had a remarkably strong spirit. If she really perished, then her spirit more than likely already made its way out somewhere."
"Alright. In that case, I'll be going. You guys... Gather up everything useful from here. Take the warding pole with you. And take Thundersnow's things, I suppose. I don't think she'd like it if we left them here to sink when the Battle Glacier eventually melts. We made some very good crystals together."
"Yes, the warding pole was the first thing I retrieved, and I already took the crystal from her igloo's walls, and her ingredient chest. I think we got everything."
"Good. Spear Whittle! Come over here for a moment," Agate called out, waving the mare over.
"Yes, Agate?"
"Help Wind Whisper charge the crystal before you leave, and try to group up close together if you see someone or something following you. Recharging the wards will probably be impossible when you're all in your kayaks."
"Will do."
"Alright. Okay. So... I suppose this is goodbye, for now. I'll- oh! One more thing. Remember that the chieftain said he'll send a messenger ahead of him, so if you see any ponies heading in your direction, be sure to flag them down so they don't waste time looking for you. Other than that, you should go straight to Nilas. That's where Jagged Ice said he'll go before coming here. I'll find out what this summoning is about, and I'll either catch up, or meet you all in Nilas."
"Yes yes, quit worrying about us, we'll be fine. We'll haul flank for a day or two, and that should be plenty enough to get us out of the danger zone. You watch your own back, yeah? You're going into enemy territory all alone."
"Again, not much they can do to me any more. I'll be going, then. Be safe, Spear Whittle, and the rest of you, too."
"Fair winds, traveler spirit. May our paths cross again."
With matching nods, the pair parted ways, Agate taking to the skies while the others began putting their kayaks into the water, their preparations to leave complete.
❅ ❆ ❅
As she flew, Agate could swear there were faint wisps of light dancing just at the edge of her sight, but when she turned to look at them directly, they vanished. She could only assume that those were the tuurngait, nudging her along to her destination.
Deciding not to bother trying to catch the elusive spirits, she cast her gaze downwards instead, looking at the landscape. It didn't take long for her to reach the shore and see for herself the devastation that the shamaric conflict had wrought upon the land.
The famous forests of the western tribe were no more, at least as far as this patch of shoreline went. Almost no trees were standing upright, and even those that survived often had many broken branches, gouges, and other scars, which probably meant that they were going to wither and die as well. The constant storms that Thundersnow sent towards the shore didn't care what stood in their path as they barreled their way deeper inland, towards the shamares they were bidden to hunt down and release their fury on.
Grimacing, Agate did her best to focus on her task and try to find the shamare that had called her there. Using her spirit sight, she kept scanning the shoreline, but nothing stood out. Continuing her flight southwest, she kept coming across patches of trees, all destroyed in various ways. Uprooted, broken in half, even burnt to charred stumps, the last one likely caused by a lightning strike.
Eventually, she flew over a village that was built fairly close to the shore. There were no lights in the buildings, whether from the spirit glows of the ponies, or the fires in their hearths. She felt the wind jostle her about, though, so she began circling the place, looking for signs of life.
The village remained empty, but she did notice the glows of several ponies standing under a massive fir, one of the few trees in the area that didn't look too badly damaged. Considering the situation, she stayed in the air for a little while longer before slowly descending into one of the branches of the tree, attempting to catch a glimpse of just who had called her there.
Her stealthy approach didn't work for long, though, as the same spirits that had been guiding her there swiftly informed their master that she had arrived. She heard someone clear their throat, before, to her slight surprise, a stallion's voice sounded out.
"Traveler spirit? Are you there? I swear upon my honor, I mean you no harm. This is a peaceful overture. I only wish to talk about matters that, I believe, greatly concern us both."
Hesitating for a moment, Agate steeled her nerves before diving down, swiftly landing on the ground and immediately changing back to her pony form, her feathers suddenly flying everywhere, as usual. The brief distraction let her get a good look at the speaker and his companions, which surprised her even more.
The group was made up of a stallion and two mares. It wasn't a bodyguard and two shamares, though. It was a shamare and two bodyguards, and the shamare was the stallion, with the mares being his guards. The stallion was wearing full shamaric garb, including a feathered headdress that the westerner mystics favored. He certainly looked the part, including his piercing pale blue eyes, which didn't seem to have pupils. Just like many other shamares in that situation, though, he didn't seem to have any trouble whatsoever with being able to see.
"I am here," She announced calmly, not too sure about the protocol in this situation.
"Ah... What a curious method of travel. Are you open to converse with me?"
"I wouldn't have come here otherwise. What did you want to talk about, and, if I may ask, who are you? I never saw or heard about you before. I don't think so, at least."
"Well, I am quite the hermit... And I'm afraid I haven't visited Snowpitt in quite a while, so I doubt my name is well known, if at all. I am Polaris. And these two are my shieldmaidens. Kochab, North Star, leave us, please. Do not worry about me. There is not a living soul anywhere near us, and I am certain the traveler spirit is not willing nor capable of harming me," He introduced himself, waving the two mares off.
His guards gave Agate a long look before nodding, trotting off with a brief "Yes, elder.". Agate and Polaris watched them go, until the stallion deemed that they were far enough for the conversation not to be overheard. Turning back towards Agate, he immediately opened up with a rather interesting question.
"Tell me, traveler spirit, do you know if the shamare known as Thundersnow is still within the realms of the living?"
"That is such an interesting question," Agate mused, not sure whether to answer or not.
"Yes? Why is that?"
"The implications. We thought it was some kind of monster, but if you already know about it... It implies that you had a hoof in her passing. Yes, she is dead."
"Ah... In that case, I must ask you to swear upon whatever you hold most sacred that what we will speak of here will not be spoken of to others, unless with the greatest of consideration to the consequences of such an act."
Agate pursed her lips, pinning her ears back as she sorted through the very formal and dramatic request. Snowponies took their oaths seriously, with the understanding that whatever you swear upon would either perish or disappear from your life forever, should you break your word. With a small sigh, she put her hoof on her chest, and turned to look Polaris in the eyes.
"I swear upon my homeland and my people, the Crystal Empire, that I will not divulge whatever secrets you decide to share with me to anyone lightly, without thoroughly thinking it through and considering the potential consequences."
"Very well. In that case, you are partially correct. I did not actually know for certain that she's dead, though I did suspect it. You confirmed it for me. As to her passing, well... I suppose, in a way, I killed her. Partially, at least," He sighed, head drooping and his ears folding slightly.
"How in the world do you partially kill someone?" Agate asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"I sent her own creation back at her," He explained with a mirthless chuckle. "Instead of trading tiny crumbs of information question by question, how about I just tell you everything that happened, and we'll go from there?"
"Works for me. I'm listening," Agate nodded, sitting down.
He likewise sat down, gathering his thoughts for a moment before starting. "As I said before, I am a bit of a hermit. Shamares are often somewhat distant from the rest of society, but I was even more so. As such, I was not even aware of the petty conflict between our tribes that was apparently happening right outside my door, until it broke that door down. My mares informed me about the arguments that arose from Thundersnow luring the salmon into the northerner's nets before the yearly migration, but I had no idea about the cowardly attacks that my tribe's shamares cooked up. I had to find that one out directly from them, after Thundersnow began retaliating by blasting the shore with storms.
I was... Immensely disappointed. The elders, which are supposed to be founts of wisdom, discipline, and patience, were squabbling like petty fools, seeking terrible revenge for a relatively minor slight. I truly cannot comprehend whether they were so utterly insane that they thought their actions wouldn't invite consequences, or whether they were so short-sighted that they didn't think that far ahead. From what little bits I gathered, some shamares actually thought their "display of power" would intimidate the northerners. Intimidate! The tribe that is most famed for its rough territories and their stoic attitude to danger! Madness!
Well, whatever they intended for their attacks to cause, the reaction could have been easily predicted even by a foal. The northerners got angry, and retaliated. I... Won't bore you with the details about what happened on our side of the conflict. They don't hold any real importance to this story. To summarize, I did my best to help defend our ponies from the worst of the effects, and mitigate what damage I could. I never launched any attacks myself, though that didn't stop the other shamares taking advantage of my protection and continuing their assaults instead of taking a moment to think and realize how pointless this whole thing was.
When the windigoes started showing up, I wasn't surprised in the slightest. Again, any fool could have seen it coming. I watched as the other shamares kept shooing them away, but I knew that it wouldn't work forever. They kept coming back, and in bigger numbers, too. I meditated and I pondered, and I knew that the only way to send them away for good was to hit them very, very hard. Which is what I did, when spring finally arrived."
"You're the one who called down the aurora itself upon them," Agate couldn't help but interrupt, feeling her eyebrows rise to the top of her forehead.
"Yes, I was. If only you could hear how the others praised me. Oh, how they praised me, while preparing more rituals and creatures to send at Thundersnow. It made me want to vomit. All I ever wanted to do was to gaze at the stars and glean some knowledge from the heavens. I built up a rapport with the wind spirits to clear the skies on cloudy nights, not to battle storms sent my way.
I was sick from it all, and was seriously considering leaving altogether. Perhaps find another secluded spot somewhere in the mountains, and just let those fools get what was coming to them. Unfortunately, I seemed to have chosen a poor spot for my ponderings. I enjoy the soothing sound of running water, so I usually meditate by the river. As I sat there, though, something came out of the water and grabbed me. Some thing, not truly alive, yet made from the bodies of dead creatures.
It was... A shark of some kind, I don't know the breeds of those creatures all too well, with multiple legs of great eagles sewn onto its head, which it used to latch on to me. Its body was partially gone, rotten or cut apart, and then reinforced with sinew and rope and bits of wood. Even its eyes were quite damaged, but it also had an amulet of true sight sewn onto its forehead, which clearly allowed it to see well enough to seek me out. I couldn't see its spirit, but it had a faint purple aura around it, with some kind of heart inside its chest, multiple enchantments woven together in some kind of crude, vile mockery of life."
Though Agate was usually quite good at self-control, she had to forcefully bite her lip to stop herself from interrupting him again. As Polaris described the creature, the entire puzzle fell into place in her mind, piece by horrible piece. She didn't want to believe it, but there were literally no other possibilities that she was able to see.
The body of the shark that Thundersnow asked the fisherponies to bring to her, which she kept in a small, separate "workshop igloo" that she had them build.
The bodies of the eagles that attacked them, and the couple that she decided to keep as well, the others remarking on their unusually long and sharp claws.
The amulets of true sight, one of which she clearly decided to keep for her secret project.
And lastly, the purple glow from an enchanted "heart". The kind of glow that just happened to be produced by amethyst, such as the crystal spheres she and Thundersnow made together.
Meanwhile, he continued. "I was stunned and horrified, though I managed to collect myself and figure out that I should attack the enchantments rather than try to struggle physically. Instead of pulling away, I slammed my hooves forward, wrestling with the false spirit of the creature. It wasn't easy, as it was infused with the will of the one who created it. Still, I did manage to overpower it, though I was neck-deep in the river by the time I did.
I'll admit, I did not give any thought to what I did next. I was cold, stunned, scared, and disgusted by the stench of the rotting carcass that just tried to kill me. I ordered the thing to go find its creator, and carry out the same orders that were given to it by its master. It was only after I clambered out of the water that I started actually thinking about what just happened."
"So... Thundersnow. She made some kind of... Undead aberration to hunt down westerner shamares," Agate whispered despondently.
"Yes. It was clearly the work of a powerful shamare, and there weren't exactly all that many candidates. I didn't know for certain, but when you told me that she was killed by "some kind of monster", it was the final confirmation. At the very least, it sounds like the other ponies that were with you didn't manage to see the thing's true nature," He sighed deeply.
"You sound quite... Regretful? You were only defending yourself. Don't blame yourself."
Giving Agate a long look, he tilted his head slightly as he considered her. "Those are interesting words to hear from one who was her companion. The stories about you being a neutral arbiter and generally just and fair are true, it seems. This gives me some hope that we can still find a solution in this mess, before this ends us all."
"I had no idea she was working on something like that. Much like you, I only helped them defend themselves while I was doing my best to work out some kind of plan or solution for this mess. I think I see now why you wanted me to keep this a secret, though. If others found out..."
"Yes," He ground out angrily, his limbs twitching. "Yes, damn it all! If they hear about this, the shamares will have a field day with this! And even if they don't, Thundersnow's death alone could cause an all-out war regardless!"
He stood up and began to pace, no longer able to contain himself. Though shamares tended to be eloquent and self-controlled, it was evident that his hermit life didn't give him many opportunities to practice those traits. His speech became rambling as he gesticulated, pouring out his frustrations with his tribe's shamares.
"If any kind of knowledge about what Thundersnow leaks out, it will be a retroactive justification for everything those fools did! They won't just rest with that knowledge, though, oh no! No no no, they will crow and croon about it far and wide, like a bunch of scavengers that just discovered a fresh corpse to feast on! They will harass the northern tribe at every possible opportunity, and we already know that the northerners don't take threats and insults lying down! They well might brag about Thundersnow's death, which could be even worse! They can't be allowed to claim her death as some kind of victory for themselves, they just can't!
Even if they think that some kind of monster killed Thundersnow, some ponies in the northern tribe will still suspect my tribe, and not without reason! After all, we are well known for taming many forest creatures and making friends with many animal's spirits! And now, we are known for employing them as weapons, as well!
Madness! It will be madness and death everywhere! Regardless of who does what and how it develops, in the end, the windigoes will swarm us all in the hundreds. Our lands that we worked so long on, to make them habitable and livable, will become desolate icy wastelands, the only sign that there used to be life there being the mournful cries and wails of the lost spirits wandering through the ruins of their former homes..."
Sitting quietly with her ears folded, Agate waited for Polaris to cool down and catch his breath, the agitated stallion heaving after his rant. After he collected himself, his posture drooped in embarrassment. Taking a few more deep breaths, he sat down again, looking at Agate. It took her a few moments to realize that he had finished telling her all that he wanted to tell, and was waiting for her to ask questions.
"I'm slightly confused as to why you would tell me about the undead abomination in the first place. It only increases the amount of ponies that know the secret," Agate slowly ventured forth.
"I wasn't certain whether you knew yourself or not, given you were working with Thundersnow. Even partial knowledge could be enough for you to put things together yourself later on."
"So you wanted to make sure I didn't accidentally tell anyone without knowing how your tribe's shamares would use that knowledge."
"Precisely."
"And... Now you want my help to somehow stop this from escalating further."
"Yes. By my ancestors, yes. As I said, you are known for not taking sides based on who you favor. Even if you have links to the northern tribe, I was hoping you would be willing to work with me to somehow stop this madness. Not that I have any ideas what to actually do next," He laughed bitterly.
"Well... I did put some plans in motion... Though it would be more accurate to say that I aided the plans of the chieftains."
"Tell me," He gasped desperately, suddenly leaning towards Agate. "Tell me everything. Please."
Agate told him of her reports to the chieftains, and her unplanned trip to Snowpitt. He raised his eyebrows when she told him about the chieftains of both tribes getting so frustrated that they vowed to deal with the issue themselves, becoming thoughtful.
"...And that's basically it. A week or two more, and they would have separated the shamares by force, if it came to it."
"This... This is interesting... But how do we use it?"
"Your shamares need to go, I think. To Snowpitt, that is. I don't think the southern tribe approves of their actions very much, and neither does your new chieftain. If they see that everyone is against them, I think they should stop acting out so much, especially if both of the western and northern chieftains formally proclaim that their tribes are at peace. I know shamares aren't used to their authority getting challenged, but even Oak Bark quieted down when he was threatened with banishment."
"I... Yes, that makes sense, I think. Hm... Is there anything for me to actually do in this plan? I don't want to interfere and mess things up."
"Yes, actually. Thundersnow was quite resistant when the chieftain told her to retreat. With how much you said they praised you, the shamares should hold some respect for you, right? Do your best to convince them to go with the chieftain when he arrives, even if you have to make up false pretenses."
"I am... Not the most eloquent speaker..." He slowly said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Right, hermit. Just... Appeal to their egos, or tell them that a mysterious spirit informed you that Thundersnow is no longer on the Battle Glacier. That's not even a lie. I am a spirit, and I am telling you that she's no longer there. She didn't surface after getting snatched, and... We don't even know if her spirit is down there or whether she made it to shore. Tell them that she might have fled to Snowpitt, and how satisfying it would be to head her off there. Also, add that even if she didn't, any attacks that she would send towards the shamares would end up going to Snowpitt, which would anger the southern tribe."
"Oh my. That last part. It's so... Cunning."
Chuckling sadly, Agate shook her head. "Yeah, that was what I suggested would happen to your tribe when the chieftain told us to go to Snowpitt for the Gathering. Thundersnow was too proud to win that way, though. She insisted that we remain through the winter, and keep fighting."
"Alright. I think... I think I can do this. Make a nice bundle of arguments, feed them to the shamares one by one..."
"Don't appear too eager or insistent. Let them convince themselves, rather than beating them down and giving them doubts."
"Hrm. You are quite knowledgeable in the tricks of speech and presenting arguments in clever ways, I see."
"I had some clever teachers," Agate smiled, thinking of a certain incredibly smartflanked shamare with a piercing gaze.
"Very well, then. I agree with your plan. I shall do my best to play my part as well as I am able."
"So will I. I think I should go now, to talk to Jagged Ice and tell him to return to Snowpitt. I'll... See you later, Polaris, or maybe not. I imagine you'll be going back to your hermit life after this mess is over."
"I will, though you are more than welcome to visit. Fair winds, traveler."
The two co-conspirators parted ways with a nod, off to carry out their plans and hopefully prevent the two tribes from destroying themselves.
❅ ❆ ❅
Agate weighed her options as she flapped her wings. It was quite late, and she felt heavy after her talk with Polaris. Despite the weight being entirely metaphorical, her thoughts still damaged her concentration, making it that much harder to maintain the delicate balance needed for her to keep her feathers.
Instantly discarding the thought of going back to the Battle Glacier, she kept flying until she saw an island, instead. Finding a nook where the sound of the crashing waves wasn't too loud, she curled up, doing her best to try and fall asleep. It took her a long, long time until she finally did, though, the shock and disbelief at what Thundersnow did constantly running through her thoughts.
Once she woke up, she didn't even want to move, rolling over onto her back and listlessly staring at the sky. A small part of her mind analyzed the situation and helpfully whispered to her that it was going to take at least a week for the rest of the expedition to reach Nilas, so she didn't have to rush anywhere. With that convenient excuse, she kept lying there, staring as the darkness slowly turned to day and back again.
Once the moon crept across the sky, though, she felt like it was watching her, so she was forced to finally roll back to her hooves again. Not having anything else to do, she shapeshifted, taking off towards the east. Following the coastline, she noticed that Nilas wasn't the only settlement by the sea, though there weren't many.
Eventually, she made it to Nilas, various memories of her very first time seeing both the village and the sea resurfacing from the depths of her mind. Focusing on those memories rather than recent events, she circled the place for a while, occasionally glancing down to see whether any ponies from the expedition already made it there.
None had, which made sense. Finally swooping down, she changed back into a pony, catching the attention of a few curious northerners. Inquiring them about the chieftain's whereabouts, they confirmed that he was in the village, currently being hosted by the village elder in his cliffside home. Getting the directions, Agate nodded in thanks, trotting off to see Jagged Ice.
Once she arrived, it was easy to convince him to have a private meeting with her, though a couple of his most trusted warriors and a shamare also joined in, given that they were sharing quarters nearby and overheard her request. It wasn't ideal, but Agate agreed, not entirely certain just how much information to divulge to the group.
"This is Tinder," Jagged Ice introduced the shamare, which Agate recognized from the battle on Green Land. "And these are Ice Crack and Club Smash, an experienced pair of veterans of the north."
"Pleasure to meet you all. I am certain you understand that I wouldn't have come here without an important reason," She immediately began, receiving silent nods from the others. "Well, I'm not sure how to ease the news, so I'll just be direct: Thundersnow is dead. The others have given up the fight and are arriving here as we speak. They should be here in three - four days or so."
"Dead," Jagged Ice breathed, saying nothing more.
"I'm afraid so, chieftain. I didn't see it myself, but others did."
"How? Who?! Did those westerners manage to off her?"
"No, chieftain, I don't think so. According to the sentry that saw it, some kind of shapeshifting monster dragged her down into the depths of the sea. She did not surface again, and we haven't seen her spirit, either."
"That... Still doesn't entirely discount the westerners from being the culprits..." He muttered, both the warriors and the shamare nodding in agreement.
"Wind Whisper, a young shamare that was with her said that there's not a single known instance of a shamare managing to summon and control a shapeshifter, though."
"Not a known instance, yes. But, from what you told me, they have been thinking up new and clever ways to attack Thundersnow during the time they've been fighting, yes?"
"Ah, well, that is true..." Agate trailed off, pursing her lips, which didn't go unnoticed.
"Hm? Is there something else you know about it?" Jagged Ice inquired.
"Well, they did send a flock of birds soon after I returned to Thundersnow... Live birds, I mean, equipped with magical talismans that allowed them to bypass our wards."
Tinder's eyes went wide with curiosity, while the chieftain's and the warrior's faces turned into frowns. They grumbled under their breaths, becoming more and more convinced that the westerners somehow had a hoof in this. Which they technically did, due to the involvement of Polaris. It was exactly as the stallion feared - Thundersnow's death was igniting embers of discontent and anger towards the western tribe.
"Live birds, equipped with magic... Completely unheard of in the past, just like taming a shapeshifter, hrm," Ice Crack mumbled, his friend nodding in agreement.
With a heavy sigh, Agate shook her head. "You are right to suspect the westerners, but that is not the whole story. I know more about what happened to Thundersnow. BUT," She stated firmly, raising a hoof. "I swore a most solemn oath not to divulge that information to anyone, unless in the most dire of circumstances. And I swore upon my people, the Crystal Empire. I can tell you more, but only if you swear an oath as well, to never tell anyone unless I allow you to. This could well lead to a war between the tribes."
The four were stunned by Agate's sudden exclamation, the sudden twist taking them completely by surprise. One by one, they glanced at each other, unsure what to do. Eventually, they shrugged and put their hooves on their chests, taking in deep breaths and schooling their expressions into something befitting the dramatic occasion.
"I, Jagged Ice, chieftain of the northern tribe, swear upon my life and my very spirit that I will not speak of this unless you permit me to. May the spirits of the north drag me down to the depths if I break this oath."
"I, Tinder, swear upon the spirits of my ancestors and my kin that I will not speak of this unless you permit me to. May the deep fires of the Earth silence me forever if I break this oath."
"I, Ice Crack, swear upon my family that I will never speak of what you're about to tell us unless you permit me to. May my kin forsake me to wander the cold wastelands forever should I break this oath."
"I, Club Smash, swear upon my honor that I will never speak of this secret to anyone unless you permit me to. May my name be cursed and cast in shame forever should I break this oath."
"Alright," Agate sighed. "Here goes..."
Much like Polaris did, Agate gave them the whole story, with the little bits of context that she herself didn't know the meaning of yet back then, such as the request to keep the shark's body. At first, the listeners were just confused, though as she kept giving them more details, their reactions began to vary. Tinder was shocked, while the two warriors were clearly repulsed. Jagged Ice, meanwhile, was furious, the normally disciplined stallion completely losing his composure.
"THAT FOOL!!!" He roared, smashing a wall so hard, shards of stone flew everywhere. "WHY DID SHE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING SO TREMENDOUSLY MORONIC?! WHY?! SHE COULD HAVE ASKED FOR HELP! SHE COULD HAVE RETREATED! THE ARROGANT, PRIDEFUL IDIOT! AND I TOOK ORDERS AND ADVICE FROM HER! COUNTLESS TIMES!"
"Chieftain, you are not at fault for what Thundersnow did!" Tinder shouted, shielding her face from the rocks as she lay on the floor.
"AM I NOT?! I AM THE CHIEFTAIN OF THE NORTHERN TRIBE! And I have to answer for what the tribe does! I am not half as angry at her as I am at myself though! I was young! Inexperienced! Well, what's better than a powerful, very capable shamare to advice a young chieftain, right?! I should have reined her in months ago! Years ago, even! Do you remember, when I wanted to contact the westerner chieftain, and she dismissed the idea immediately? That was far from the first time she overruled me, and I should have not listened to her!"
"Chieftain, it is not the chieftain's place to question shamares-"
"IS IT NOT?!" He roared again, stomping his way over to Tinder and picking her up by the scruff of her neck. "Well, I'm questioning that statement! I am questioning it VERY HARD! I think it's time to begin questioning shamares a lot more! Look at me! Look me in the eye and tell me that Thundersnow was not a tremendously arrogant, prideful fool, one that should not have been listened to! TELL! ME!"
Tinder could only whimper, the mare partially choking from the chieftain's grip. Jagged Ice was on a roll, though, and he didn't wait for the shamare to compose herself and say something. Tossing her on the ground he continued on, in a slightly lower volume.
"Beyond your ken, as they kept telling me. Interfering in the affairs of shamares is beyond my ken. And yet, shamares interfering in the actions of chieftains is not beyond their ken? Where does the shamare's sphere of influence end, exactly? And what about creating undead crimes against nature? Is that beyond my ken? I don't think there's a single pony that wouldn't be horrified and disgusted by what Thundersnow did! I think this whole debacle clearly shows that things such as dealing with conflict with other tribes are far, far beyond the ken of shamares, and they should shut up and follow the chieftain's orders when he tells them to do something in that regard," He angrily ground out. "Are you going to fight me over this?"
Agate watched the whole thing play out, slack-jawed and stunned. Tinder was lying on her back, her breathing panicked and her eyes darting everywhere, with the massive form of the chieftain looming over her. The two warriors haven't moved from their spots, their expressions quite different. They were looking at their chieftain with admiration and respect, clearly approving of him reasserting his place in the hierarchy of the tribe's leadership.
It was quite clear that Jagged Ice's question wasn't rhetorical, as he looked ready to tear Tinder limb from limb. For all her mystical power, the shamare was physically fragile compared to a warrior, as all shamares tended to be. She whimpered again, frantically shaking her head.
"No! No, no, I will not fight! You are right, my chieftain, I apologize! I spoke out of turn!"
"Good. Good. Now then..." He took a few deep breaths, reining in his fury. "Remember your oaths. We will not speak of what Agate told us. We are going to wait for the other ponies from that damned expedition to return, then all of us will travel back to Snowpitt, and, spirits willing, we will sort this out with Firm Root, so that this does not escalate further. Understand?"
"Yes, chieftain," Tinder muttered quietly.
"Yes, chieftain!" The two warriors saluted, much more enthusiastically.
Polaris and his shieldmaidens.
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What's this? A new chapter? In a day?
Yes, your eyes are not lying to you. Free time and inspiration can do wonders.
There was a lot of speculation in the comments after the previous chapter. Some of you even suspected Herb Extract! Herb is a good mare, she did nothing wrong, shame on you!
Jokes aside, the speculation was entirely true, based on what you knew. However, there were nasty things brewing in the background, things you did not know about.
The thing Thundersnow created is based upon a real belief by the Inuit people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupilaq
"was an avenging monster fabricated by a practitioner of witchcraft or shamanism by using various objects such as animal parts (bone, skin, hair, sinew, etc.) and even parts taken from the corpses of children. The creature was given life by ritualistic chants. It was then placed into the sea to seek and destroy a specific enemy.
The use of a tupilaq was considered risky, as if it was sent to destroy someone who had greater magical powers than the one who had formed it, it could be sent back to kill its maker instead, although the maker of the tupilaq could escape by public confession of their deed."
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blasphemy also great chapter worth the wait
Damit Thundersnow...
Okay. Did not expect Thundersnow had been that blindly stupid.
Wow.
In anticipation of future comments: I am certain there's going to be discussions about how much of a villain Thundersnow was/was not. I was very happy to watch entirely different comments pop up about her throughout this arc, from the very first very suspicious ones
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To changing their mind
To moving their villain designations to the westerners
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So, who's the bad guy here?
Is she evil, or is she a product of people that praised her for her power one too many times, without teaching her about discipline and restraint, grown up into a caste of mystics that are held as being always right, no matter what they say or do?
Hopefully, all of this means that I succeeded in my goal, which was to write an interesting antagonist that wasn't just the standard lame "rah rah I'm a villain because I enjoy being evil". Note that I said antagonist, not villain. Is Thundersnow a villain, or are the western shamares the villains in this story, for pushing her into doing what she did? Both of them? That is for you to decide, especially since we're not finished with the westerners yet.
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Ayup. Some people suspected her from the very start.
Their suspicions were not unfounded. I tried not to be too much "in your face" with the hints that she might be morally questionable, though.
Okay, I thought there was some sort of foul play involved leading to that, but hooooly shit I did not expect this, good thing Agate was able to be a bit of a messenger here at least so she could get this communication discreetly between parties, or this could have gone REAL bad.
I do wonder though, will their spirit find their way out of the sea when the calling happens? We'll have to wait and see, I suppose.
That was a good chapter goodluck with the next one.
Guess who got a new favorite shamare? I hope to see more of Polaris :3
I didn't say it last chapter but using the aurora as a budget element of harmony was smart.
I had my suspicions that something like this would happen when thundersnow was first introduced due to her seemingly arrogant attitude, but over the course of the more recent chapters her confrontational attitude was looking to be much more justified due to all the seemingly unprovoked bird attacks and such that were getting sent, then this is all revealed and I've been caught completely off guard. a great reveal and a great chapter, certainly looking forward to seeing how this gets settled between them
I'm leaving the question about thundersnow to others, instead I'll focus on the end of the chapter
It looks like Jagged Ice There's been enough shamares doing whatever they want, I'm predicting a new era in which shamares have to submit more to the commands of the chief of the tribe
It's a shame that thundersnow had to leave like that, she really looked like she had many achievements ahead of her, but if you look at it from one angle, she really marked the history of the tribes, for better or worse
On a side note, just to say that the whole story about how Polaris almost died and how Thundersnow died created a horrible image in my head
New Fear Unlocked: What Awaits Below
As the saying goes, it's not the secret lodge that rules the world, but outright inferiority.
Our Thundersnow is definitely not a villain. I think she's just overplayed her hoof, mixed up the shores, overstepped her authority, but she doesn't look like a villain.
I'm glad the voice of reason prevailed. The tribes decided not to continue the conflict and finally resolve it.
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It doesn't seem to be that very bad. At least one day her spirit will come out of the sea.
Yelp, I admit, I never expected that Thundersnow to create that kind of monstrosity and go too far.
But on the other hand, it really shouldn't surprise me that she would had went this far. From her first appearance, she really showed how much of an arrogant, over-prideful and a sore-looser type of a character she was.
Wow, being a hermit doesn't look half bad.
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yeah but judging by his eyes he sees half bad.
I don't remember word for word her introduction nor all she's said and done. But from what I remember she was definitely not above metaphorically beating her chest. Unchecked pride goeth before a fall and all that jazz.
While thunderstorm was an arrogant and morally dubious shaman the western tribe was in the wrong for starting the fight and being so petty over it. Thunderstorm was responding to a threat when it was clear diplomacy would just lead to subterfuge with how unwilling the western shamans were with admitting thier actions however she definitely got carried away harming the people and the land with her counter attacks i bet it wasn't hard getting the bird platoon when so many trees and territory was destroyed and while she did use black magic to make her chimera they were from enemy corpses at the very least and shes not a completely moralless cus i was so excited for her to trap a powerful spirit in the floewolf to make some awesome artifact though i guess sending off to tell the news of ponykinds prowess is acceptable.
Oh and i love polaris he is so majestic but rip his free time; for the good of your country its alwase commendable i really hope he takes the lead shamans place since its alwase the ones who dont want the job that can do it best.
Agate definitely going to have some legends after this , shes getting so mature and awesome what a peace maker
Anger, mmmhh, not good.
I have been loving this story, excited to read how this conflict resolves
Love the artwork and hope to see the blind shamare and his two guards which since he is a hermit I wonder why he has guards?
Man… Thunder you shouldn’t had done that and likely will answer for that… so wrong
OK so maybe she did a few things wrong
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Heh. Yup. Just a few, though.