Agate's Vigil

by Wingnut

Polar Legacy

Interesting as it was, the topics they could discuss with Mystic Weave eventually ran out, and the travelers made plans to move out once more. After a month of learning everything they could from the shamare, Dream Step and Agate sat in Ironmane's home, hunched over some maps.

"So, now we have a choice between south and north. I don't think it's worth going south, especially now that we'll have to travel in a big circle all the way back here when we're done, and then all the way north," Dream Step reasoned.

"Fair enough. It's going to be interesting to see the western shores again."

"More violent memories of the past?"

"Yes, the only time I went there was when I accompanied Thundersnow on her expedition."

"I don't think anyone's going to remember that. None of the shamares here held any ill will towards you, did they?"

"No, but you need to remember that the ponies that live on the shore are direct descendants of the ponies that suffered in the war. More than likely, it's going to be quite different for them, even if a long time has passed."

"I'm sure you're going to be fine."

"Probably. When do you want to go?"

"Let's have one lazy day before we move out. Those zig-zagging, up-and-down mountain trails are murder on my legs."

❅ ❆ ❅

Though they haven't managed to make a working dreamcatcher, Dream Step was still thankful to Mystic Weave. She gave her two of Agate's crystals before leaving, promising to send her a finished dreamcatcher if she managed to make it work properly. The elder shamare was dismissive of that attitude, though.

"If? No ifs, young mare. When you make one, send it to me."

"Right, of course."

They set off in the morning, Dream Step carefully navigating the steep mountain trail while Agate hopped from ledge to ledge, the danger of falling down not really a concern for her. The path wasn't particularly narrow or dangerous, but the young southerner was used to living in the plains, where things were, putting it mildly, quite flat. Once they reached more even ground, she shook herself, taking in a deep breath.

"It's fine when you're climbing up, but when you look back and see how high up you actually are... Yeesh," Dream Step muttered, her legs tense.

"The view is pretty great, though."

"It is, if you're standing away from the ledge. Far away. Let's keep going, I'd prefer to reach that foothills settlement rather than camp on rocks."

"Right behind you."

As they learned from the local maps, a number of small little forest settlements encircled the mountainous capital of the westerners, providing food for the craftsponies and miners. The inhabitants didn't really consider themselves separate, though, everyone in the area simply saying that they lived in Highglade, even if their home was half a day's travel away from everyone else.

Such an arrangement meant that all the local shamares lived in the central part of the city that was on the mountainside, from where it was easiest to reach any other part of the scattered homesteads, should a need arise. With no shamares to talk to or anything to learn, the pair of travelers only stopped to spend the night, before moving further north.

They haven't met any shamares with knowledge that they haven't learned yet along the way, and, a bunch of villages and several weeks of travel later, they reached the northern edge of the western tribe's territory - a seaside settlement called Sandy Shell. Agate watched Dream Step as the mare kept slowly turning her ears every which way, trying to figure out the source of the strange sounds as they approached the shore.

"What is that noise? It's kind of like a strong wind, but... I can barely feel the wind right now..."

"That, my student, is the sea."

"Really? It's that loud?"

"Indeed, especially on windier days. You'll see for yourself soon. The village is that way, though... We could go to the shore first, if you like," Agate pointed out a fork in the path, with one leading off to the left, and the second one continuing straight on.

"Let's... Let's go see the sea," Dream Step nodded after a moment of consideration.

The ground beneath them slowly changed from the dark, loamy dirt of the forest into sandier and sandier soil as they approached the beach. The gloomy ambiance of the forest likewise retreated as they approached the opening in the tree line, clear blue sky and sunlight bathing the sandy dunes.

"Whoa..."

Agate didn't say anything, not wanting to interrupt the young mare's experience of witnessing the sea for the first time. Dream Step's gait slowed down to a canter, the mare moving in slow motion, as if she was in a dream or a trance. Her mouth moved a little, but Agate couldn't hear anything. Step by step, she slowly approached the waves, not taking her eyes off the massive body of water.

As far as reactions went, it wasn't anything too unusual. Agate had seen ponies that were used to the calm local lakes get outright scared of the seemingly aggressively churning waves. It did start getting weird when Dream Step reached the edge of the wet part of the sand where the waves crashed, and kept going. Blinking in confusion, Agate quickly galloped over, looking at her student. Her eyes were unfocused, as if she was in a dream.

"...Dream Step?" Agate tried to get the mare's attention as her fetlocks were soaked by a wave.

It didn't do anything, though. The mare slowly kept moving, almost reaching the very edge of the water, the waves going past her knees. Jumping on her back, Agate poked her in the side as she yelled right in the mare's ear, loud as she could.

"DREAM STEP!!!"

"Whoa! What! Bleh!" Getting out of her trance, Dream Step started backpedaling, spitting out some salty spray that got into her mouth. The wet sand made it awkward, and she stumbled several times before reaching the shore.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Agate asked, scanning the mare with her spirit sight.

"Nothing. I just... I felt like... I felt like there was some kind of... Grand revelation being shown to me, and yet, I... I'm not able to articulate it in any way," She tried to explain with a frown.

"Is it something to do with your dreamwalking abilities?"

"I... I think so..."

"Well... Sorry for interrupting your mystical experience, but I'm fairly certain you don't know how to swim, and swimming in the sea can be hard with those waves, too," Agate shrugged.

"Is it dangerous? If I get into the water?" Dream Step asked, suddenly turning towards Agate with an unusually intense look.

"Uh... There's sharks and all kinds of predators, but I'm pretty sure they all live some distance away from the shore, and the sea water is actually easier to float in, for some reason, so... It's not dangerous if you don't actually go deep enough for you to go underwater, I think? The water's fairly cold, though. Well, ponies say it is. I never experienced how cold it is myself."

"Good. I... I think I need to understand this," Dream Step nodded, taking off all of her equipment and putting it on the sand.

Agate expected her to slowly approach the sea again. Instead, the young shamare closed her eyes for several minutes, meditating briefly before she charged headlong into the water. Cantering closer to the water, Agate watched as Dream Step appeared to wrestle with the waves, slamming chest-first into them. Her expression was extremely intense, as if she was trying to force some kind of secret knowledge from the sea.

Pursing her lips, Agate kept watching as her student slowly kept pushing forward. It really wasn't dangerous to splash around, but she wasn't sure she would even be able to do anything if something actually happened to Dream Step. She wasn't even sure what the actual level of danger was, given that snowponies didn't really do what Dream Step was doing.

"Dream Step!"

Her fears were realized when a particularly large wave knocked Dream Step over, the mare going underwater without a sound. Fortunately, she was in quite shallow water, and the force actually pushed her closer to the shore. Kicking off the bottom, she easily surfaced, spitting and brushing her mane out of her eyes.

"Did you learn... What you were looking to learn?" Agate asked tentatively, the waves passing through her with no effect.

"I... Maybe. I need to think this through," Dream Step muttered, picking out a strand of seaweed out of her coat.

"Alright, well... We should probably go to the settlement now. You should dry yourself out."

"Eh, it's still summer. I'll be fine," Dream Step shrugged, wading out to shore.

"Suit yourself. Enjoy the salt crystals in your coat."

"What do you mean?" The wet mare asked, looking at her dripping fluff.

"The salt from the water gets stuck in your coat. The wayfaring northerners that spend a lot of time paddling get so much salt stuck to their fetlocks, they turn white. They wear it as a badge of pride."

"Sounds like a weird, but useful way to carry salt, if you need to flavor something real quick," Dream Step chuckled. "Alright, let's find someplace to crash for the night."

Picking up her saddlebags and other things, Dream Step carefully put them on, slicking her mane back and sniffing the air. She stood there for a while like that, prompting Agate to raise her eyebrows.

"More mystical nudges to do something?"

"No. The sea is not only loud and salty, but it also smells weird," Dream Step shook her head, turning towards the village.

"Some ponies like it, or so they say. I never got to smell the sea while I was still alive," Agate shrugged.

They made their way through the sandy beach, finding a number of hoofprints along the way. Some distance away, they could see a dock, explaining the activity. Sandy Shell was both a fishing village and a trade port, which meant that a lot of waterborne ponies passed through. Since the Sun was beginning to set, only a few ponies were still around, dragging their boats to the storage sheds.

Dream Step examined the place for a few minutes before turning left, towards a path leading upwards. They made it into the village proper, looking around. Life in Sandy Shell was buzzing, the fisherponies gutting and cleaning their hauls while the occasional hungry pony was haggling for a fresh fish. Dream Step likewise stayed there for a few minutes, curious about the unfamiliar fish from the sea, before moving on again.

"This place is actually pretty big," She commented, looking around. "I think this entire street is just where the fisherponies hawk their merchandise."

"I think it actually grew a fair amount since I saw it last," Agate mused, trying to match the memories of damaged and abandoned buildings with the sight in front of her.

"Right then. Let's ask someone where we can find the elders, I don't feel like wandering about right now."

Getting directions wasn't hard, and they were soon trotting towards a different segment of the settlement. Whether by design or by chance, Sandy Shell was quite orderly, with the market, storage buildings, different merchants and craftsponie's establishments set out neatly in their own little areas, while the houses were some distance away from the constant noise that such areas tended to generate.

As they often did, the pair got quite a lot of looks. A shamare wasn't anything unusual, but the spirit of a pony accompanying one was. The village's elder, an old merchant by the looks of it, was likewise surprised when they asked to talk to him.

"What's this now, did you fish out some unfortunate soul from the sea? Wait, I don't think you're one of ours... Gale didn't mention anything about new students..." He spoke, squinting at Dream Step.

"No, elder, I am from the southern tribe. I am a shamare on my knowledge journey," Dream Step shook her head.

"Oh, well then, forgive an old stallion. My sight's not quite the same it used to be. Who's this, then? Did you come from the northern tribe? Found some drowned pony along the way?" He kept asking, now squinting at Agate.

"No, elder, I came from the west. This is Agate, the traveler spirit. I assume you heard of her," Dream Step explained.

"Heard of her?! Sure as thunder I did! Few travelers haven't at least heard of her, even if they never saw her themselves. She's quite famous in our circles, though everyone mostly talks about how jealous they are that they can't just sprout a pair of wings and take off like she can, heh heh." He chuckled. "My pleasure to meet you at last, traveler spirit!"

"The pleasure is mine, elder. You should know, though, that having wings came at a price. I can't exactly carry anything any more," Agate pointed out.

"Aye, everything has a price, doesn't it? I'm familiar with the fact, yes. Anyway, I'm afraid there's no way I can let you stay here. Not due to lack of space, but old Gale would have my head if I did. See, she's not like shamares usually are," The elder explained with a grin. "They usually live by themselves, right? To do their shamaric business in peace and not get their meditations disrupted, and all that. Sea Gale, though? She's part of a big family. Her brood is a whole clan, really, and they stick together, shamares or not."

"So from what you're saying, she's... Aggressively hospitable?" Agate asked with raised eyebrows.

"Aye, you'll be going to her to talk about magic anyway, and she'd talk my ear off if I kept one of "her guests" in my home. Her family's a bit kooky, but they're good folks," The stallion laughed, shaking his head.

"Alright, well... Where do we find her?" Dream Step inquired.

"Oh, not too far, right over that way, then turn left, then go straight until you pass the house that's leaning to the side a bit, and go right, towards the residence of the crazy shamare. You'll see it."

"Right... Okay. Thank you, elder."

They said their goodbyes, sharing a look once they were outside. Seeing Dream Step's confused expression, Agate shrugged, having met a great multitude of all kinds of eccentric ponies. Waving in the direction the stallion told them to go, she lead her student towards their goal.

❅ ❆ ❅

"Huh. Crazy shamare's residence," Dream Step mused, standing in front of a large house.

"There's nothing crazy about it, but you can see that a number of shamares lived here over the years, yes," Agate nodded, examining the building with great interest.

The house was relatively old, but very sturdy, built mostly from stone rather than wood. At a closer look, it had multiple expansions that had been added over the years, the freshest one looking no more than a few years old. The walls had multiple sigils and murals painted on them, while the wooden parts were decorated with all sorts of carvings. Animals, ponies, spirits, and so on.

Agate briefly scanned the walls, noticing that the murals were from different eras as well, though the old ones had been maintained and touched up. They seemed to depict either important local events or the family's history, including the spirit war, the picture of destroyed forests and raging birds and windigoes flying overhead bringing back old memories. Many families kept historical records through trinkets and art, but few had the space and the means for something like this.

The artistry itself didn't necessarily mean that shamares lived there, but the runes and mystical trinkets did. Every window and door had a circle of protective runes carved and painted around them, and the surroundings were likewise enhanced. There were little statuettes stacked on boulders that were meant to ward off creatures of ill intent, windchimes hung from the branches of nearby trees, and long, rune-filled warding poles were stuck in random places into the earth.

"For someone that's supposedly friendly, they sure have a lot of defensive measures," Dream Step pointed out.

"And if you look closer, half of them don't do anything. The power's gone, the wood's decayed, or they were shoddily made in the first place. I think... Hmmm..." Agate trailed off, trotting closer to a warding pole. "I think some of these are practice pieces. See this work? Either this was made for a pony that was completely inexperienced, or someone that had no idea what they were doing at all."

"So, what, some trainee shamare kept her old stuff to see how much she improved over the years? Now that you mention it, I see it now. This one's- oops," Dream Step grimaced as she poked one pole, the old rotten thing collapsing with a loud whump.

That brought a reaction from the inside of the house. Dream Step nervously glanced around as a hubbub ensued, the muffled noises sounding a bit like a whole herd of ponies racing to get to the front door. Moments later, a dark, storm cloud gray mare slammed the door open, looking around with an imperious expression. At least half a dozen ponies of all ages poked their heads out from the gaps behind her, studying the pair of travelers. It didn't take long for the mare to assess the situation and turn towards Dream Step.

"Well, I'd ask which one of you did it, but since she's a spirit, I'm assuming you're the one that knocked over my grandfather's old project," She stated with slightly narrowed eyes and a tight tone of voice.

"It-it fell over by itself! I barely even poked it!" Dream Step stammered, nervously taking a step back and looking for the best avenue of escape.

"Well of course it did, it's been there forever," The mare answered with a roll of her eyes. "Where do you think you're going, though? Do you think you can just leave? Kids, get her!" She shouted, stepping aside, letting all the ponies behind her to pour out from the doorway.

"Aaaaah!" Dream Step screamed, rearing up in fright and attempting to gallop off as a whole herd of ponies began dogpiling on her.

"Um..." Agate scratched her head, not too sure what to do in this situation. Meanwhile, the ponies were dragging Dream Step inside, peppering her with questions.

"So what's your name?"

"Do you like seaweed? We were just making some seaweed stew for dinner!"

"No, I bet you like fish and a pine nut dessert, don't you?"

"Help me," Dream Step mouthed at Agate before getting dragged inside.

"And... You are..." The mare, which Agate assumed was Sea Gale, muttered quietly as she scanned the spirit with her spirit sight.

"Agate."

"Agate...? Well. That is a very interesting name. A name that's entangled with my family's history, from what I know. Come inside, then. I'm sure we'll have lots of things to talk about," The mare said slowly, nodding towards the door.

"I don't think I'm familiar with your family, stranger," Agate said, trotting inside.

"Sea Gale. And... Well. It is a long story, and an old one. Perhaps you will know more about it than I do. Come, let us go to your friend. She seemed nervous, for some reason."

"Probably because you sicced your family on her and dragged her inside by force," Agate suggested.

"Nonsense. I recognize a southerner when I see one, and I'm quite certain they know how to show proper hospitality in the south."

Agate didn't bother pointing out that usually ponies invited others in rather than drag them inside. Cantering through the house, they reached a large kitchen/eating room. A slightly panicked Dream Step was sitting at the side of a large table in the honorable guest's position, various ponies shoving all kinds of bits of western cooking in her face.

"Try the mushrooms, I know you don't get many of those in the south."

"No, no, this is a fishing village, she probably had plenty of mushrooms in all the forest villages along the way. Try the salmon!"

"No, try the seaweed stew! Grandma said I made it really well this time!"

"Let her breathe, younglings, she won't be able to eat anything or enjoy our hospitality if she chokes on something," Sea Gale admonished the youths with a smile.

"Hospitality?" Dream Step asked sourly, glancing around.

"Why, of course. Is something wrong?"

"Are you nuts?! You sent a dozen ponies to pile on me and drag me inside! I thought you were going to beat me up, or something!"

"Now why in the world would I do that?" Sea Gale asked with a frown as the others giggled.

"Why wouldn't you? You were griping about that old warding pole your grandfather made! Your expression was furious!"

"Griping? Furious? Young mare, I already told you that it's been there forever. It was bound to fall down by itself eventually. And if I looked displeased about something, it was the terrible circumstances you clearly found yourself in. A lone mare poking around a family's home, late at evening? You clearly didn't have anywhere to stay, and didn't have the courage to knock on my door and ask for help. I'm not going to abide something like that," Sea Gale explained, her voice stern.

"You- you're addled," Dream Step huffed as Agate did her best not to burst out laughing at her fuming student. "I wasn't poking around - well, I poked the - never mind! I was only curious, and I was going to knock on your door right after!"

"Well then, if you were going to end up here anyway, then there is no harm done, is there?"

"I- You- ugh," Dream Step gave up, completely speechless.

"Well then, if you're done complaining, eat up. The food's going to get cold."

❅ ❆ ❅

"Knowledge journey, eh? Now it makes sense. Didn't look like you were a shamare," Sea Gale nodded, spearing a roasted mushroom and popping it in her mouth.

Since Agate didn't eat, she gave the family a quick run-down of why they were there while they ate. Dream Step's angry expression slowly faded away as she tried dish after dish, the ponies eagerly feeding her everything she showed any interest in. Agate could only assume that the food was quite good. Eventually, her student shook her head and pushed her plate away.

"Thank you for your hospitality, but if I eat any more, I'll puke."

"Well, while you could use more weight to prepare for winter, wasting food is quite a crime," Sea Gale nodded, licking her lips clean.

"What did you mean when you said that I didn't look like a shamare?"

"Well, you're dressed quite... Plainly, if that's the right description," Sea Gale shrugged.

"What, not like your, uh... Feathered headdresses and stuff? We don't dress like that in the south."

"Yes, but southern shamares adorn themselves in various ways too. Amulets, bangles, charms woven into their manes... Young ones have far fewer than the elder shamares, of course, but they usually have something, either a gift from their teachers, or something they made themselves."

"Well, my teacher is a spirit, and she can't make things. Except for crystals, and she did give me a bunch of those," Dream Step motioned towards Agate.

"Really? Unusual... Did no shamare take you in?"

"No. My talent is too rare, apparently. I'm a dreamwalker. No one still alive with that talent to teach me," She explained, the listener's eyes going wide with curiosity.

"Hmmm... Well, you're getting some instruction, at least."

"Sure. Agate is great, even if she annoys me with her "wisdom" sometimes."

"That means she's an excellent teacher, then. The best teachers are the ones that push you to be better."

"Right. Luckily for me, she can't do too much pushing," Dream Step grinned as she poked Agate in the side.

"Careful, student. I have my ways, and you don't exactly know how to get rid of spirits," Agate snorted.

"Yes, teacher," The young mare rolled her eyes.

"So tell me, Dream Step, what are your abilities like?" Sea Gale asked, looking intently at the young shamare.

"Well..."

Dream Step ended up recounting the stories of the prophetic dreams that she had, both the very first ones and the one that led her to going west. Though Sea Gale was quite interested, like every other shamare, she wasn't really able to give Dream Step any practical advice besides the generic ways to focus and meditate, something which she already learned long ago.

After they discussed their respective talents a bit more, both shamares came to the conclusion that there wasn't much for Dream Step to learn there, either. The young mare didn't care all that much, though, waving it off and saying that she still had plenty to learn from Agate. After that, the conversation topic turned towards Sea Gale, her eccentric behavior and large family, though the mare staunchly refused to acknowledge anything about her actions as being unusual in some way.

"Cut it out with that nonsense, youngling! There is nothing weird about being welcoming to strangers!

"There is everything weird about dragging ponies into your home!" Dream Step shouted, throwing her forelegs in the air in exasperation.

"No, there isn't! If a pony is in trouble, you jump in and drag them to safety!"

"I wasn't exactly drowning or freezing to death! I was standing outside, in pleasant summer evening weather!"

"And yet, you needed a place to sleep, since you are far away from home."

"You didn't know that, you... Gaaaahhh..." The young mare gave up, massaging her temples with a groan.

"So, Sea Gale," Agate intervened. "What was that about my name being known to your family?"

"Ah... Yes. You were involved in the whole kerfuffle that made this settlement into a ghost town and the surrounding areas into a near-dead wasteland, weren't you?"

"The spirit war? Yes, I was," Agate slowly nodded, trying to gauge the family's reaction. Fortunately, none of them looked hostile, and Sea Gale's expression remained neutral.

"And do you remember the name Polaris, by any chance?"

"Polaris? Of course I do. He was... Pretty influential back in the day," Agate nodded, biting back the fact that they knew each other far better than they let ponies know.

"And quite powerful, though also reserved and disciplined with this abilities, unlike the other shamares back in the day, yes?"

"That describes him quite well. He was also quite a recluse for a part of his life, but the events back then forced him into abandoning that lifestyle."

"Indeed. He started quite the family line, as you can see for yourself. Quite a lot of shamares in our bloodline, too, though it's hard to say whether we inherited some of the strength of his spirit, or it's just because our family is so large. That's why we have so many shamaric trinkets outside. My kin do go on their journeys, but with at least a couple shamares being present here all the time, we always have a lot of materials, place to work, and experienced mystics, which ends up with a lot of trainee shamares spending time here, both family and not. Dream Step might be the first one we can't really offer much," Sea Gale nodded, taking a cup of tea one of the younger ponies offered her.

"Wait... This entire family is from his line? I knew he settled down, but we didn't talk much in his later years..." Agate boggled, looking around with wide eyes.

"Oh, you think that's everyone? Oh, Agate, it's not just this house. At least a good fifth of the village is in some way related to us."

"What?!"

"As I said, Polaris began quite a family line," Sea Gale chuckled.

"Huh..."

❅ ❆ ❅

Though there wasn't anything for Dream Step to learn from Sea Gale, it seemed that there was some kind of hidden wisdom for her to glean from the land itself. After having a good night's sleep, she went out to explore, trotting around both the village and the surrounding forest.

As Sea Gale noticed during their meeting, the young mare didn't look much like a shamare, nor did she act much like it, from Agate's experience. Whatever mystical atmosphere surrounded Sandy Shell turned that upside down, though. Dream Step trotted around as if half asleep, and she almost completely stopped talking, communicating only in short sentences when the family got together to eat.

Agate accompanied her, though she didn't intervene, letting things play out and only watching to make sure her student wouldn't sleepwalk off a cliff. A mystical journey of self discovery was quite a common thing for shamares, even if they usually happened when they were much younger, and something about seeing the sea and splashing in the waves that day seemed to have triggered it.

The sea also took up a lot of Dream Step's attention, though she didn't try fighting the waves any more. She spent a lot of time on the beach, though, focusing on the water with frightening intensity she never showed before. Bit by bit, some kind of knowledge was crystallizing in her mind, and Agate was certain it wouldn't take more than a week or two for her to reach some kind of revelation.

Meanwhile, the locals once again became highly curious once they found out that Agate was visiting their village, perhaps even more so than usual, given her involvement in the spirit war. They asked her to tell her side of the story dozens of times, comparing it to the versions passed down by their elders. Given that it was an important part of local history, they were far more solemn when discussing it, rather than the excited curiosity others displayed while talking about the adventure and conflict that happened both long ago and far away from them.

"Aye, I remember my own grandfather telling me about it," An elderly stallion nodded, stroking his snow-white beard. "Thrashed this place up real good, they did. Half the building's foundations were either washed out or so crooked, the homes had to be ripped up and rebuilt from the ground. Lots of work, though they had plenty of help. The rest of the tribe really rallied to it, or so gramps told me."

"I wonder if that's why Sea Gale's home is so heavily reinforced. It must have been built back in the day, not long after the conflict ended," Agate mused.

"Oh, it must've been, though some ponies say that they did it just so none of their guests could leave too early," The elder laughed, the entire crowd joining in.

"I'm glad to see this place recovered so well. It really was quite a mess."

"Maybe you shouldn't have helped destroy it, then," A snide teenaged colt scoffed, immediately getting dozens of dirty looks and a few angry outcries from the onlookers as Agate frowned at him.

"You're lucky she's a spirit, colt. Any mare would have the right to twist your ear off after a remark like that," The elder said, giving the youth a flat look.

"Yeah? For what, saying the truth that they brought it on themselves? Good riddance, that crazy northerner got what she de- Oof!" He got cut off as another stallion smacked him upside the head, making the colt fall over, face-first.

"Even the stories our own lore keepers tell us say that our shamares were the ones that attacked the northerners first. Whether Thundersnow was crazy or not, it would be mad not to expect retaliation after a blatant provocation, something you don't seem to have learned, colt," The gruff stallion rumbled.

"Am I opening some old wounds?" Agate asked.

"Nothing of the sort. The ponies with the actual wounds are long, long dead," The elder rolled his eyes. "Some youths just get a little overconfident when they think that they're adults and that they're allowed everything, yet due to their youth, they haven't yet experienced any true consequences of their actions. A few demonstrations like the one here are usually all it takes. I'm sure you've seen overconfident youths during your long years, yes?"

"I have, yes," Agate nodded.

"That was one demonstration. Do you need more?" The stallion asked, loudly hitting his hooves together as the colt got up.

"N-no! I'm sorry, I'll- I'll be going now!" The colt squeaked, galloping away, several ponies in the crowd snorting and rolling their eyes at the complete turnaround in attitude.

"Ah yes, discipline and reigning in your pride," The elder chuckled. "Something the shamares of the time had to learn as well, from what I remember."

"They did, and Polaris was the one who led the efforts in the western tribe. He left quite a mark on this place."

"Odd to think about something like that, really. If the shamares were never taught that they could be wrong, like that colt... I can't imagine what kind of ponies they would grow up to be. Well, I can, actually, and it's not pretty," The old stallion mused.

"They really weren't. A shamare was always right, more or less. Granted, the other shamares did teach them about magic and wisdom, and they applied their magics to help their kin with great effect, but they were rarely beholden to anyone but themselves," Agate confirmed.

"A good lesson as any to end this story on, I suppose. Good day to you, traveler spirit," The elder nodded, the crowd saying their thanks and farewells as well, dispersing one by one.

Plenty of similar storytelling sessions happened over the days they spent in Sandy Shell, minus the heckling. Later in the evening, Agate met up with Dream Step, the pair lying down beneath a huge fir. Agate had tried to locate the one that she first talked to Polaris under, but either things changed so much that she wasn't able to recognize it, or the already old tree simply succumbed to the passage of time over the century she hadn't been there. Fortunately, lots of new trees grew in its place.

"And that's how my day went," Agate summarized. "How's your journey going?"

"Well enough... I think? It's weird. It comes and goes, like... Like waves in the sea... When I sit down somewhere after trotting around all day in a daze, it looks like the time spent went by in a blink of an eye, but at the same time, I feel like I'm learning something big. Still no idea what, though. Stupid mystical inspirations..."

"I'm sure they're not stupid, if you're learning something big," Agate smiled.

"Greetings, traveler spirit. May I talk to you?" An unfamiliar male voice said.

"Hm?"

A colt approached the fir, stopping near the edge of the branches, as if stepping under would constitute an invasion of their home. Looking him up and down, Agate didn't recognize him. He was around Dream Step's age - a young adult, grown out of being a teenager a few years ago, with simple, forest-brown colors for his mane and tail, with lighter fetlocks.

"Yes? Can I help you?"

"I heard that you were telling stories about the times of the spirit war, and I wanted to ask you something. You were there yourself, yes? Met the ponies of the time? Including the mad shamares that fought each other?"

"I have, though certainly not all of them, especially the westerners," Agate nodded, wondering whether he came to her to have a go at her or Thundersnow, like the younger colt did previously.

"Did you know Polaris? Personally?"

"I... Kind of. We considered each other friends, but we did not meet all that often, or all that many times. Come, sit with us," She invited, relieved that he wasn't there looking for trouble.

"Thank you. My name is Spear Throw. It's an honor, uh..." He trailed off, awkwardly trying to be polite to Dream Step, who sunk halfway into a trance already.

"That's Dream Step. Don't mind her, she's busy with shamare stuff," Agate said slowly, slightly thrown off by the stallion's name.

"Is... Everything alright, traveler spirit? If my presence here is bothersome for your student, I will gladly leave."

"No, it's fine. Your name just... I knew someone with that name in the southern tribe, long ago. Just a coincidence, I'm sure," She explained, making his eyes go wider.

"May I know what the bearer of the name was like?" He enquired enthusiastically, making Agate smile nostalgically as she recalled one of her first teachers. Many ponies held the belief that names held power, and a pony carrying a name of an inspirational ancestor held a part of their strength, as long as they honorably upheld their legacy.

"He was already a guardian spirit when I met him, but I do know some things about his life. He was a courageous hunter, a proud and fierce protector of his kin and tribe. When a yeti attacked a troop of younglings he was leading and teaching, he jumped at it and sacrificed himself to save them without a moment's hesitation. He was incredibly stoic, having mastered himself and his emotions, and held a deep love for his wife, such that he refused to leave her even in death."

"A great and honorable stallion, it sounds like," Spear Throw breathed. "I hope I will live up to the name. Ah... Speaking of ancestors and distant kin, I wanted to ask about Polaris and his descendants, actually. I myself am from one of the branches of the family tree that he planted, one of many that call him ancestor. Perhaps too many, in fact," He said, his expression turning sour.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Agate asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Well, a great many ponies here in Sandy Shell are descendants of his, and some ponies have moved away to other settlements and villages, but there's also some ponies in the southern and northern tribes that claim to be from his bloodline as well, which is quite vexing. During the occasional gathering or family reunion, or even just a traveler passing by, they call themselves family, even if they live on the remotest northern islands or the southern villages, where Polaris could never have been to! And when they recite the names of their ancestors, there's not a single one we share, save for Polaris himself!"

"Ah. So you think that some ponies are... Pretending to be your family? Lying to exploit your family's hospitality, or for a claim to fame? And you wanted to know whether I knew who his direct descendants actually were?"

"Yes! Polaris was a great stallion, and his name is well respected in the rest of the tribe, not just Sandy Shell! Those pretenders should perform great deeds of their own, not cling to his name like ticks!" The young stallion fumed.

"Well... In that case, I might have to disappoint you, Spear Throw," Agate smiled gently.

"Huh? Why? Oh, you didn't really know him all that well, then? Oh, well, I-"

"No, actually. I was quite surprised to see just how much his family grew over here, but I did know of his descendants back in the day. And, thing is... How do I put this best... Hmmm..." Agate trailed off, while Spear Throw looked on in suspense.

"Yes? What is it?"

"He was an unusual pony, Spear Throw. A stallion shamare, and very powerful, too. And, uh... I don't know how much you know about shamares, but most of them don't end up in relationships all that often. And just about all of them are mares. So when a stallion showed up, one that wasn't nervous around the female shamares, well, they... Put it simply, Spear Throw, I'm fairly certain that he sired foals with more than one mare," Agate explained, making Dream Step flick her ears and giggle as she came back to the real world again.

"So his ancestor was a prettycolt tail-chaser that made all the shamares of the time swoon, leaving some unattended eggs in their nests?" She grinned at Spear Throw, making him fold his ears in embarrassment.

"No, no," Agate shook her head, though she couldn't help but smile as well. "No, he was nothing like that. He was deeply caring and honorable, and he would never have done that to a mare and ran away. He certainly wasn't ugly, but he wasn't a stunningly pretty stallion... I think. Thing is, the mares found him attractive regardless, and, well... They were the ones pursuing him. Aggressively. And frequently. With great determination."

"Oh. Uh... Wow," Spear Throw scratched his head as Dream Step had a giggle fit at the picture Agate was describing.

"Yup. While shamares rarely have foals, they do have families that help them. I'm sure those shamares and their families took good care of their foals back in the day, but as they grew up, they must have wanted to find out who their mysterious father was. I'm assuming that's how the tradition of travelling to reconnect with your family here started."

Agate waited patiently as the stallion collected his thoughts. She had seen similar things over the years - a pony had an entire narrative built up in their heads about some event in the past, and then they'd come to Agate to ask her about it. And then, it would turn out that things didn't happen quite the way they were told by others they did, making their worldview crash. She assumed that Spear Throw held some anger at those distant relatives of his, and perhaps even said some unsavory things to them at some point, and was now regretting it all.

"I... Probably have some apologies to make..." He said slowly, confirming Agate's suspicions.

"So, did Polaris really get mobbed by frisky shamares everywhere he went?" Dream Step asked, still laughing at the whole situation.

"Not mobbed, no," Agate rolled her eyes with a grin. "But I have seen him getting dragged off by a shamare somewhere secluded now and then during the Gatherings. At first, I assumed that they were harassing him due to his support in curbing the shamare's overall influence. I followed him once, intending to give the offending mare a piece of my mind, but... That was not what was happening. At all."

"Oh, that poor, poor stallion! So terribly harassed by those evil shamares!" Dream Step exploded in guffaws again, while Spear Throw coughed in embarrassment.

"Well, uh... I'll just... I suppose I'll be going now. Thank you for your time, traveler spirit," Spear Throw mumbled awkwardly, standing up.

"Any time," Agate nodded with a smile.

As he trotted off, though, Dream Step became thoughtful. "What was that you said about shamares not getting into relationships?"

"You don't know?" Agate asked, surprised.

"Hey, I was the first shamare to be born in my village, remember? I don't know a lot of this stuff yet, and that's not exactly something the other shamares told me. What's that about?"

"Well... A lot of shamares spend many years getting control over their abilities. You're not the only one wrestling with your powers, you know. Dreamcatcher herself took many years to master them, and by the time she did, it was almost too late to go looking for companionship."

"Almost?"

"Unfortunately, being the spooky prophet of doom apparently put stallions off. She was incredibly powerful in the dream realm, so much so that many ponies found themselves unnerved by her," Agate shrugged helplessly.

"Damn it. I love my family. I want foals of my own, someday. I don't want to spend my life wandering alone," Dream Step cursed.

"I'm sorry, Dream Step. I don't know how to help you there."

"Don't you? I think you already did," The young mare nodded slowly, a smile slowly growing on her face.

"What? How?"

"Your little story about Polaris. If stallions won't court shamares, then... I'll just have to go out and snag a stallion myself. Hmmm..." She trailed off, idly looking in the direction Spear Throw left.

Comments

[Wingnut]

Words.

[RaymanRock]

"Your little story about Polaris. If stallions won't court shamares, then... I'll just have to go out and snag a stallion myself. Hmmm..." She trailed off, idly looking in the direction Spear Throw left.

Yay new chapter to read

Now i want to know how she snag a stalion now, the story to be continue...

[Froginalog]

Beat them with a spirit stick and drag them back to your home young dreamweaver

[KMCA]

She's the mare of his dreams... or will be by the time she's done with him.

I wonder if Dream has found our long lost pony of storms.

[Oreng Pingvin]

11780123
No horny

[farfalla2728]

That's making me excited for a comedy spin-off series where she keeps on trying to get laid but fails everytime.

[Wingnut]

11780509
Someone else will have to write that one, unfortunately.

[Danger Noodle]

Enjoyable as ever.

[origami]

So...
Pole-laris, huh?

And damn, Dream Step getting thirsty

[TheAbsoluteRadiance]

So when a stallion showed up, one that wasn't nervous around the female shamares, well, they... Put it simply, Spear Throw, I'm fairly certain that he sired foals with more than one mare

I knew I liked Polaris for a reason. He had that sea-dog in him.

[new55]

That was a good chapter.

[3phantoms]

My only regret is that there isn't more of this to read.

[Wingnut]

11789091
There'll be more soon... Ish.

[Victor07]

This whole story about Polaris' family reminded me of something, is Agata still in touch with her northern family? Or did she end up distancing herself from them?

[Wingnut]

11807338
She is. You'll see in the next chapter.