Agate's Vigil

by Wingnut

Settling in

The next morning found the filly sitting by her totem, gazing towards the mountains to the south. Yesterday's visitors shook her from the routine she fell into, and she was thinking about all the things that lead her here up to this point. Did she really spend almost a whole month with the snowponies? Counting the days again, she confirmed that she did.

"Hm. Guess I really threw myself into learning their language."

She was gazing at the horizon, waiting for Earthsong. The days were getting longer bit by bit, though given how short they were to begin with, it didn't amount to much. Still, the difference was noticeable. They had some proper sunlight during the day, instead of just a few hours of twilight.

It was still dark when the shamare showed up, though there was the faintest hint of light on the edge of the sky. Agate turned her head towards the visitor, watching her approach from the corner of her eye. It was slow, but she was beginning to notice the snowponies' silent presence over time.

"Morning, Agate. You look burdened by something today. Is something the matter?"

"Just my thoughts, Earthsong. I had some visitors last night." At the mare's curious look, she elaborated. "Spear Throw and Gnarled Root dropped by last night. We had a very interesting conversation. I learned some new things, though mostly I just learned how much I don't know yet. I'll need to talk to them again, many times."

Earthsong's ears perked up, a wide smile on her face. "Truly? That is great news!" Swishing her tail, she got closer to the filly. "How did it go? Were you able to understand each other fully? We've had our lessons for a while now, and I've been wondering if you were ready yet. You made great progress."

Agate frowned a tiny bit. "I'm sorry, ready for what? The talk with other spirits? I understood almost everything, but was there something special they were supposed to tell me? They didn't, at least I don't think they did..." She combed through her memory, scratching her head.

Shaking her head, Earthsong spoke. "No, no, young Agate, I meant if you were ready to... Tell your story, I suppose. The entire tribe's been dying to know about your strange, mysterious, shiny, coatless tribesponies ever since the first time you stepped inside Snowpitt. What do you think? Have you learned enough of our tongue to tell us your story - not just how you got here, but the story of your people?"

"Hmm..." That was a tough question. Agate rubbed her chin, thinking things through. Describing her trip would be easy, but even a short description of the Empire would be a challenging task. Some words would likely be impossible to translate regardless, such as the magic shield the Empire was known for, or even large buildings such as the Spire. The snowponies just didn't have the equivalents in their language.

She'd have to improvise, but describing it as a "building as tall as a small mountain" was an option, even if there were no direct words for it. It could be done for other things too, most likely, but there were still some words that she didn't know. Not many, fortunately, and she would be able to ask about them directly.

Slowly, she shook her head. "Not just yet, but I think I'm close. I still need to learn some words, I think. One word especially. A very, very important word for my people. One that ties everything together, and without which I wouldn't be able to properly describe my people at all," she chuckled, building up the suspense. "I really need to know what your people call crystals..."

❅ ❆ ❅

Spirit stones.

"What a dumb name," the filly frowned. The snowponies used the same word as "rock" or "stone" to call crystals, only adding the fact that their use was highly tied to spirits. Crystals were a different beast entirely from common rocks, yet that was what they were called around here. The locals didn't have any other gem or crystal deposits, so to them, it was just a different kind of rock, albeit a somewhat special one.

They had no other use for them either, only enchanting them to build the glowing paths in winter to lead any lost spirits to Snowpitt. They still had some value, though, since only the northern tribe had access to the citrine deposits in some faraway corner of their territory, which made them scarce.

Which was all fine and good, but "Spirit stone pony" just didn't roll off the tongue quite as well as "Crystal pony" did. Or "Crystal Empire". Ugh. She managed to hide her disappointment from Earthsong, continuing the lesson for the day.

The two kept talking about common things, trying to find names for them. The language lesson turned into a lesson about their ways of life as well. While trying to find what carts were called in their tongue, Agate found that snowponies didn't know what wheels were. It sounded absolutely impossible, until she remembered all the snow.

"So, the only thing that you use to carry lots of items are sleds?"

"Well, no. We do have something for summer. The snow does melt around here, hard as it might be to believe. We call it a travois. Think of it as... a sled for dry ground. These "wheels" you spoke of... I think ponies might have actually used them a long time ago, but stopped for some reason."

"Well, they do need proper roads. They get stuck in mud very easily too, from what I heard. Or get jammed between rocks."

Unlike what Agate expected, though, it turned out that they did have clothing.

"Wait, you have clothes? Like scarves, and coats, and... ugh. I don't know a single word for those things."

"Hmm. You mean things to keep you warm, that you put on yourself?" At the filly's nod, she continued. "Made from ponies' coats?" Agate didn't nod this time, looking at her, wide-eyed. Earthsong continued regardless. "Yes, we do have clothes. Did you think we are completely immune to cold? Oh, you did? Heheh, I wish, but that's not the case. While we do fine most of the time, blizzards, deep winter days and nights still pose a very real risk of frostbite, or worse. We do have warm homes to sleep in for a reason. And there is the occasional sickly pony that either can't grow a proper coat, or loses theirs due to some illness."

"Wait, wait, go back a little. You make clothes from your own fur?"

It was both strange and made perfect sense at the same time. They didn't have sheep, crystal or otherwise, to gather wool from. They certainly had an absolute abundance of their own fluff, however. Enough to compete with some of the woolier sheep that Agate saw.

Trying to describe a crystal ewe was a little hard. When words didn't help, Agate tried to imitate the bleating of a sheep. Earthsong said that they didn't have anything like that in their lands, though the western tribe had some vaguely similar animals roaming the mountains that bordered their territory. She called them "bighorn sheep", sizable creatures with horns so big they could knock a pony right on their back. They certainly didn't sound like they'd be interested in providing wool.

Talking about animals further, they found that yetis were just as much of a danger around the foothills and rocky areas of the mountain regions as they were in the Empire. Trying to describe animals with just words was hard, though, and they weren't really able to find any other creatures their lands shared.

"One of the most dangerous predators that we know of is the akhlut. A terrible beast that is able to change its shape. It hunts the plains in the shape of a black and white wolf, returning to the safety of the waters in it's form as an orca."

"Um, I think I know what a wolf is, but I don't know what an orca is... Sorry."

"It's alright, Agate, some things are best seen with your own eyes... Then again, I hope you never have to see an akhlut yourself, even as a spirit. Some experiences are not worth seeking out."

They talked about various things, finding a new word or concept to explore now and then. The sun rose, then peaked, lighting up the landscape. Eventually, though, the needs of the living called Earthsong away.

She was hungry.

Sometimes, they'd go together and Agate would wait while Earthsong ate. Other times, the filly would go wandering about, or attempt to have a short conversation with some other ponies. She decided to come along this time, for several reasons.

"Well then, look at you two younglings frolicking about. Having fun together, are we?"

True Sight was one of those reasons. The old mare was very sharp, but also the biggest smartflank that Agate ever saw.

"Oh, certainly, elder. Better than to snooze in bed all day like an old, creaky mare," Earthsong quipped right back.

"Well, aren't you quick with your tongue today, Earthsong! Why if I had to guess, I'd say that young Agate is a bad influence for you! What has that filly been teaching you, hmm?"

She was also a respected elder, and a leader of sorts. Agate hadn't figured out who was really in charge of what yet. From what she saw so far, it looked like True Sight and other shamares were the leaders. But Earthsong told her that they had a "chieftain" that concerned himself with "earthly matters", while the shamares dealt with magic and spirits and such. Spirits like Agate.

"Nothing that interesting, elder. I'm not good enough at your tongue yet to teach her the really fun stuff," Agate joined in on the teasing.

True Sight cackled in satisfaction, shaking her head. "Not sure I believe you, young spirit. You are getting quite good. So, how are things? Been a while since you checked in."

Agate sat down on the floor while Earthsong went to rummage around in the pantry. "Quite well, I think. The lessons are going smoothly. I often don't know what things are when something from outside the village gets brought up, but I'm learning. And... I think I'm almost ready to... Tell my story. Almost. There's a few more words to learn here and there, but I think I'm ready."

"That's wonderful to hear, Agate. I must say, I've been looking forward to this quite a lot. When you're my age, you don't often get to hear new things. The whole village is curious, really. Shame the other tribes had to leave, but we'll fill them in the next Gathering. If you truly think you're ready, that is. I imagine you'll have to relive the time you lost your life. That's not easy for most ponies."

The filly turned her head, considering the idea. "It's fine, elder. It wasn't pleasant, of course, but it wasn't anything too horrible. I collapsed in the snow during a blizzard and didn't get up again. Getting lost in the darkness afterwards was worse, actually."

Earthsong returned from the pantry, carrying a slice of fish with some hay and moss in a clay bowl. "You're a strong pony alright, Agate. Thank you for indulging our curiosity, by the way."

The filly blinked, folding her ears and scrunching her muzzle. "Wait, you're thanking me? I didn't even... Do anything. You took me in out of nowhere, gave me a home, spent so much time teaching me..."

The two mares shared a glance. Since Earthsong had her mouth full, True Sight took the lead. "Really now, you're making too big of a deal out of this, youngling. Surely your own people wouldn't leave a lost and confused foal to mill around at the edge of their village?"

"Well, of course, not, but I mean..."

Earthsong shook her head, swallowing her food. "Don't worry about it. Kindness is it's own reward, and we only did what was proper to any traveler seeking refuge, even if your circumstances made it somewhat unusual. As for our time... We have free time for now, and we choose to use it as we wish. Spring is one of the calmest seasons of all."

"If you say so..." The filly replied, shifting in place a little.

"We do say so," True Sight replied while Earthsong went back to eating. "Besides the fact that whatever knowledge you share with us will surely be remembered and sung about during the Long Night for ages to come, the fact that you're from a never-before seen tribe would net you the attention of every single snowpony you'd come across." The filly turned away at that, which prompted the mare to raise an eyebrow. "Did I say something wrong, Agate?"

"And no one might ever see them again." Shaking her head, she turned to the elder again. "No, it's nothing. Uh... I just still don't know a lot of the things you're mentioning, and I get the feeling they're important. Long Night? And I think I heard someone mention the "Great Gathering" before?"

The elder hmm'ed, stroking her chin. "Well! Those are indeed important events, but I'm not sure I even have the time to tell you about them properly. The basics are simple enough, but there's also so much history behind them... Well, I suppose the full story can wait. Here goes..."

She kept quiet for a minute longer, likely trimming down the information in her head. "These things you heard mention of are cornerstones of our way of life. There are three tribes scattered across the lands: we, the southern tribe of the plains, the western tribe of forests and mountains, and the northerners of the seas and glaciers. The changing seasons bring about tremendous changes in the lands, and we learned to change with the seasons.

Every winter, the weather turns so cold that even our coats do not protect us any more, and the blizzards get so fierce that they can drag a pony away or freeze them in the blink of an eye. Furthermore, the days get so short that they disappear entirely for a brief while. We are left in the dark, only guided by the gentle, but cold light of the moon and stars. That is what we call the Long Night.

And so, every year, the tribes all gather here in Snowpitt to spend the winter. This village is our oldest, and safest, known settlement. That is the Gathering. We are all reunited with our brothers and sisters of the other tribes. Everyone brings as much food as they were able to collect during the warm seasons, and we all hunker down until the worst of it passes.

Of course, we don't just sit on our rumps all winter. While the other seasons are for feeding, frolicking, and foraging, winter is the time for the sharing of knowledge. While parents teach their foals all the time, it is usually about survival skills and other lore of the wilds. Ponies from all tribes gather in the great hall of Snowpitt to learn the history of our people, our greatest heroes and leaders, and the world itself.

The adventurous ponies share their experiences of new or old beasts, spirits, plants, and the best ways and tricks to deal with them all. The explorers describe any new lands they discovered, places to avoid, and any resources that are worth venturing out for. Skilled ponies share tips to make the best spear, sled, or any other item. Shamares share their knowledge of spirits and healing. Anything and everything that may save the life of another pony someday is shared and taught to anyone who's interested."

She stopped then, reaching for a cup of tea prepared by Earthsong. Wetting her throat, she swished the liquid around in her mouth contemplatively, looking off somewhere into the distance. After a few more sips, she continued. "I think that's the most barebones version I can tell you. There's more to it, of course. The departure, where the tribes go their separate ways again. You saw that yourself - you arrived barely three days before it happened. The Calling, the great song of Snowpitt to summon any lost spirits that the shamares of their respective tribes weren't able to call back. And then dealing with spirits we actually don't want to come here. But those are stories for another day."

Agate nodded, doing her best to memorize everything as well as she could. It was all very interesting, very different in most ways, but also similar in others. They also spent a lot of time learning in winter, and breaks were in summer. Though Crystal ponies certainly weren't... There was a word for it, that described travelling Pegasus bands. None... Nomadic! Crystal ponies weren't nomadic at all. They really preferred to stay in the Empire.

Earthsong finished her food sometime during the story, and was enjoying a cup of tea. "Yes, we will have all the time in the world to teach you more about us later, and we will be happy to do it. But for now, if you still feel like you need to learn more words, we should probably focus on that. Let's continue our lessons. Elder, will you talk to the chieftain about this?"

True Sight nodded, getting up from her chair. "Oh, sure, I can do that. He'll probably want to do it after tomorrow, to give ponies time to finish any urgent tasks. Something tells me that we're going to spend the whole day talking with Agate."

The old shamare ambled out the door, while Earthsong turned towards Agate. "Well then, let's get to it. What do you want to know?"

The filly pondered, wiggling her ears. "It's a little hard to explain. We have leaders, but not shamares or chieftains. I don't think you have a word for "empress" or "princess". Or, what else is there... Ministers...? I guess I'd just like to know what a chieftain does so I'm not describing ponies incorrectly."

"Well, that's not too hard to explain. A chieftain is the head of the tribe. Often, they are respected elders, though they usually pass the duty on to a younger successor before they get too frail. If danger arises, a chieftain is expected to be able to fight in defense of their ponies.

Chieftains usually organize the larger foraging groups that go on longer trips, and make sure ponies don't all go to the same place, or go there too often. Travelling somewhere only to find it already picked clean can really stir resentment in a pony. They settle disputes as well, if those ever come up. Which is quite rare, I think.

Here in Snowpitt, things are pretty relaxed, so our chieftain doesn't need to do much, thankfully. There are stories, though, of old times, when our people were more nomadic and the land was more dangerous. Chieftains calling brave ponies to them to chase away packs of wolves from our migration paths, tracking down a huge bear that dragged a pony away to its den, sending scouts to make sure newly discovered woods are safe... These days, the chieftain's duties mostly involve approving claims for land and making sure the village is built correctly, without making it too open for any beasts to wander in, but not so cramped so that ponies have no space to themselves."

"Not quite like the Empress... I think. Haven't heard stories about her fighting, though there was something about her "bequeathing" land to some ponies. It'll have to do as a comparison, Agate thought.

Earthsong considered something, then shook her head. "I think I made a bit of a mistake, though. Things are calm here, yes, but our sister tribes are certainly busy in their lands. This winter, the northerner's chieftain told us all about the many new shores and islands they are busy exploring. I believe he was an explorer himself when he was younger, back when I came to visit them. He is now leading the charge to settle new lands and expand his tribe's reach. I can only wish him success."

"When you visited them? So you traveled to the other tribes?"

Earthsong smiled, likely remembering something pleasant. "Oh, yes. All the tribes gather in Snowpitt, but not everyone travels to visit the other two tribes. However, many shamares do, to gain more insight and understanding of the world. There aren't many of us with the gift, and we go to learn what we can from the other tribes. Many elders that get too old to travel decide to stay here, so the greatest pool of knowledge and wisdom is always here in the village. However, we travel to the wilder parts to get more... Practical experience."

Agate nodded, mulling things over. This was all very interesting, but she was getting sidetracked again. While she did want to hear more of how the snowponies lived, this wasn't what this lesson was supposed to be about. So with some regret, she went back on topic.

"Alright. The next thing I need to know is... Are there any... Bad shamares?" This was a really bad way to ask if they had ponies using dark magic, but that was the best she could come up with.

Earthsong raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips. Her tail twitched. "Bad... In what way, Agate? Bad at their duties? Or bad as in...?" She didn't finish the sentence, letting the question hang in the air.

"Bad as in bad. Very, very bad, on purpose. Bad as in killing your chieftain. Bad as in declaring themselves the chieftain of all ponies of your tribe, and trapping them with... Magic ropes. Trapping their heads, trapping their spirits so they obey him without thinking, attacking their neighbors and families by his command. Unleashing fear and nightmares on all ponies everywhere around him, bad -" She forced herself to stop, shaking her head. It looked like her anger at Sombra was still there, buried somewhere deep. He deserved it, but Earthsong didn't need to see Agate losing her composure.

Meanwhile, the mare was staring at her, slack-jawed. With each of mention of Sombra's crimes, her eyes went wider and wider, while she uselessly worked her mouth, trying to find the words. Agate squirmed a little under her wide-eyed gaze until Earthsong finally got her composure back. Her face flashed with several emotions. Disgust, anger, disapproval, and eventually, sadness.

"Is that... Is that what happened to you? To your tribe?" She whispered, so quietly Agate barely heard her.

"It's a little more complicated than that. But yes. A greedy pony with a heart of ice decided that... I don't even know what he really wanted. To rule us, to make us afraid of him? I never saw him myself. But he wanted to take over our entire tribe as his property."

Earthsong furrowed her brows, thinking deeply. After a minute of silent contemplation, she leaned back in her chair, and closed her eyes completely. She sat there for some time, not moving or making a sound. Eventually, she spoke.

"No, Agate. I don't think there have ever been... Evil shamares. Prideful, boastful and demanding, perhaps, but never just... Malevolent. There are some stories of clashes between the shamares and their tribesponies, where misunderstandings caused anger. Sometimes, we have to give hard advice to ponies, and they don't always like it. We can see the spirits of the land and air, of the animals and ponies. And during hard years, shamares had to tell ponies not to go fishing or foraging in certain spots, since they could see that they were getting close to being depleted completely. If that happened, they would take decades to recover, which would only mean even more hard years in the future. "

Agate nodded, taking care to memorize the words "evil" and "malevolent". "I see. Well, it doesn't exactly happen often with us, either. We never had any... What we call "dark mages" before in the Empire. This one... I'm not sure he's even from our people. Probably some ambitious unicorn from Equestria, or even somewhere else."

Earthsong tilted her ears at all the unfamiliar words. "The "empire"? Is that how your village is called? Unicorn? And Equestria?"

"Umm, it's a bit bigger than a village. We usually call the smaller settlements villages, and the big ones are "cities". Anyway, yes, the Crystal Empire is how we call the territory my people claim, and Equestria... They are a collection of ponies from different tribes that made one big country - uh, tribe together, somewhere far to the south of us. I don't really know all that much about them besides the basics. A unicorn is a kind of pony they have there."

"Ponies living even further south than your people? Truly, the world is different than what we thought," The mare mused. "I should probably stop asking questions, though. I'm sure you're going to tell us all about it later. Though now I'm honestly somewhat worried to hear the full details of what this "dark mage" pony did, wendigoes take him."

"Oooh! I forgot! That word that you just said, what is it? What's a wendigo? Is it the word we use for windigoes?"

"Hmm? Those do sound like the same word. Wendigoes are winter spirits of cold and ice, bringing about blizzards wherever they go. They look a bit like ponies, with hooves and equine faces, their bodies made of freezing mist. The stories say they seek out hateful ponies, attracted from leagues away by the coldness of their hearts. Of course, the cold they bring with them freezes everyone indiscriminately, so shamares have to step in and chase them away."

"Really, you just chase them away? No, nevermind, not getting sidetracked again. That sounds exactly like a windigo. My people had to deal with them in the past, though no one saw any for a very, very long time now."

"Your tribe managed to get rid of them forever? You'll have to tell me that story, Agate. They're not a terrible danger, but they do cause trouble now and then. As for chasing them away, well... It's not so simple. There are many ways of dealing with them, and a lot of ponies don't really agree which one is the best one. We'll trade stories later."

The filly nodded, trying to remember if there was anything else she wanted to know. Earthsong went to pour herself another cup of tea from the pot hanging over the firepit. The hut lapsed into silence, interrupted by the occasional sip from the mare.

True Sight returned eventually, interrupting their musings. Shaking off a few snowflakes, she turned towards the two. "Well, I talked to Frostbeard. As I predicted, he's interested in hearing this himself, and decided to wait a day to let ponies come back from their fishing trips and sort things out. Get yourselves to the great hall bright and early on the day after tomorrow."

"Very well. I'll make sure Agate doesn't sleep in," Earthsong said with a small smile. "Speaking of, I think it might be time to call it a day, Agate. And perhaps you should take a break from our lessons tomorrow. Think of what you want to say, and come find me if there's anything you're not able to explain. Come, I'll accompany you to your totem."

Getting up, she led the filly out the door. Checking the sky, Agate saw that the sun was almost gone, the sky a deep purple. They walked in silence, both still thinking about their earlier conversations. Earthsong was pensive, likely thinking about what Sombra did to the crystal ponies.

Agate was a little bit nervous, thinking about meeting this chieftain Frostbeard. She knew there was (most likely) nothing to worry about. The only thing the snowponies wanted in return for taking her in was for her to tell them about herself and the world south of their lands, so they probably wouldn't get angry at her if she made a few mistakes. Still, she was just a filly, and telling the history of the Empire to the leader of these ponies was a daunting prospect.

As they trotted along, Agate kept an eye on her surroundings. The village got a lot more quiet since the other tribes left. It certainly wasn't empty, and all the homes looked inhabited. But the streets weren't jam-packed with ponies anymore. As they went past a longhouse, something niggled at the back of her mind.

"Glacier Glider..."

Earthsong's ear turned towards the filly."Hm? What was that?"

"Oh, nothing too important. There was this mare, Glacier Glider. One of the first ponies that I met. True Sight brought her along when they tracked me down. She took me in for a night, and I wanted to thank her. I only figured it out later that she probably left with the other tribes."

"Glacier... I'm not familiar with the mare, but from the name, she sounds like a northerner. I'm certain you'll see her again."

"Yeah. It's okay, I think. I went to find her during that celebration right before she left. I didn't know how to talk yet, but I'm pretty sure we understood each other."

"I'm glad to hear that. I still feel a little guilty about how I treated you when I first saw you myself. It was terribly rude of me to act that way."

That made Agate pause. When they first met? She thought back. "What do you mean? I don't recall you doing anything rude when True Sight brought me over to your place."

Earthsong's ears folded, an embarrassed smile on her lips. "Oh, heh, you don't remember? Or, I suppose you didn't recognize me in the dark... I was the first pony to see you, I believe. You were standing on the outskirts of the village, and I challenged you to name yourself. When you answered in a strange tongue, I got really suspicious, and warned you of a terrible retribution should you have ill intent towards Snowpitt. Then I galloped off to find True Sight or another elder shamare, leaving you to stand in the snow. That was a... Really inappropriate way to treat a visitor."

Agate shrugged, slightly amused by the mare's embarrassment. "It's fine, really. I almost forgot about the whole thing by now. And I'm sure you weren't suspicious of me without reason."

"Well, you were an odd spirit that showed up well after the Calling, and no family reported any missing foals..."

"Calling... That's another thing I'm not familiar with, unfortunately."

The two were approaching Agate's clearing by now, the area bathed in the darkness of early evening. Earthsong looked around, considering something. After a moment's contemplation, she sat down on the edge of the clearing, patting the ground next to her. Agate took the invitation, sitting down as well.

"Well, it is not too late yet. I suppose I have time for one story. So, the Calling...

True Sight told you about the cycles of nature that snowponies learned to follow. When the tribes travel to Snowpitt for the Gathering, they lay down paths of enchanted spirit stones to help guide any lost spirits to the village. Usually, the shamares of a tribe do their best to seek out and lead any lost ponies home, instead of letting them wander the wilderness for months.

But if they are unable to find the spirits of departed ponies, they enlist the help of every shamare there is, from every tribe. That is the purpose of the Calling. A great many ponies gather in the ritual grounds in Snowpitt, shamare and regular pony alike. We light a bonfire to help light up the night, and we all, every elder, adult and foal, raise our voices in a mighty Song.

The very Earth, so silent and immovable, carries the sound of our song that night. For a brief moment, even the mightiest of winds are overpowered, as our voices reach the farthest edges of the most distant mountains and shores. The combined call of the tribes guides every lost spirit out of the cold darkness, into the light and warm embrace of their kin. To date, there has not been a single pony that we were unable to lead home this way. Which is why I was so surprised to see you appear months after the Calling.

There are tearful reunions aplenty, as the departed thank the ponies and say their goodbyes - unless they elect to stay on, of course. Those that have no ties to the land anymore and are ready to move on turn towards the bonfires, their steps easy and unburdened by the concerns of life. The almighty Sky lights his fires in the heavens, just as we light the fires on the ground. The spirits step into the flames, carried on the warmth and smoke to the Sky's eternal embrace. "

Agate was listening intently, making mental notes here and there. Naturally, the story only brought up more things that she'd have to ask about later, but she obviously wasn't going to interrupt Earthsong to ask questions. Probably the most interesting part was the description of the final destination. There was no scythe-carrying Pale Mare coming to retrieve you or anything of the sort. Were crystal ponies wrong about what happened after they died? Given that the snowponies actually had to deal with spirits all the time, that was probably the case.

Earthsong carried on. "Now, such an act has some consequences, of course. I don't mean the ascension of spirits, but the Song of Snowpitt. Usually, it is a very, very bad idea to call attention to yourself anywhere out there. And with the Song being so loud and mighty that it reaches all across the land, well... Needless to say, it brings the attention of more than just the spirits of our departed.

Ice bears, snowamanders, wolves, yetis, frost weasels, freeze fiends, drift burrowers, blizzard buzzards..."

Agate's eyes went a little wider. That sounded like a lot of monsters, and Earthsong wasn't stopping.

"...Wendigoes, ijiraq, akhlut, I even heard stories of the terrible floewolf sightings... I think I might be forgetting some, but yes, such a clarion call attracts the attention of a lot of beasts and every spirit, not just those of lost ponies. Fortunately, the fires and sheer amount of ponies deters most of them from actually daring to attack us, not to mention that a great amount of the predators simply end up fighting each other before they even get close to the village. Even with the southern plains being quite safe, you can still hear some terrible howls and sounds of battle coming from the tundra in the days after the Calling. When we venture out afterwards, we sometimes find the bones of the losers of such fights. Some are so terrifying that it's hard to imagine what the winners might have looked like.

Still, they prowl around the outskirts, hoping some foolish pony steps outside the village bounds. No one does, of course. And the guardian spirits and the many, many protective wards carved and placed all around Snowpitt make sure none of them, spirit or animal, are able to just barge in."

Wards? That sounded like the Empire's shield, but they clearly didn't have wards against the cold. "That's just... Wow, I don't even know what to say. My people don't have anything like that. I mean, we do have protective magic, but there's no events that would bring all those monsters rushing towards the Empire. It sounds scary. And dangerous."

The mare shrugged. "A little bit, I suppose. But in all my years, I have never heard of any actual deaths caused by the creatures. The sounds of distant monsters are indeed frightful, but these days, a fright is the worst you're going to get. According to some older stories, back when Snowpitt was smaller and not so well defended, ponies would build great snow and ice sculptures of the worst and most terrifying monsters they could possibly think of on the edges of the village, making them face outwards to scare the real monsters. Some would even make costumes and masks of beasts or spirits, to trick any that might have snuck inside. These days, it's mostly a foal's game. They like to compete on who can make the scariest face on a sculpture, and dress up as various creatures. Some go around "scaring" adults into giving them treats so they would "spare" the ponies from getting eaten themselves. Everyone gets through just fine as long as they don't leave the village for a few days."

"I guess that doesn't sound too bad... A scary holiday sounds strange, though."

"Heh. Yes, the Gathering is a sad, frightful, bittersweet time for everyone. It is all part of life, however."

Agate tilted her head. "Sad? But all the tribes get together again, so shouldn't you be happy? I mean, I understand being sad about the spirits, but..."

"Yes, but that is exactly it. Certainly, you greet everyone that returns from a long trip with joy and warmth. But when the tribes get together, we grieve for those that didn't come back, and remember the ones we lost." Earthsong chuckled, shaking her head. "And the opposite happens when spring comes around. It is natural to worry about your kin when they leave on a journey, but when the tribes go their separate ways, it is a big celebration. We don't celebrate them leaving, but the fact that we all survived yet another cold and dark winter, and we are ready to face the new season with a smile."

The filly nodded, memorizing everything. They sat in silence for a minute, until Earthsong got up, shaking off the dirt and snow from her rump. "I think it is time for me to go, Agate. Like I said before, I won't seek you out for lessons tomorrow. Wander around, clear your head a little. You have been an exemplary student. If only half of the foals were as attentive as you. "

"Alright. One last question: what is this "great hall" True Sight mentioned? All of the buildings I saw so far were just homes or workshops."

"Oh, I guess you haven't explored much yet outside the southern portion of the village, have you? You can find the great hall north of the ceremonial grounds in the village center. It's rather large, you can't miss it. Feel free to wander and explore, Agate. Snowpitt is your home now, for as long as you choose to stay, and you're welcome in every corner of it."

The filly nodded, waving goodbye. Today was an amazing day with lots of talking and learning, but it wasn't over yet. She remembered what happened yesterday, so she laid down on her back, gazing at the stars.

Spear Throw and Gnarled Root would likely be here soon.

❅ ❆ ❅

It took the spirits some time to arrive, but that was fine. It allowed Agate to review what she learned today, and to think about what she wanted to ask. As expected, their approach did not produce any sound, though she did notice a faint glow appear at the edge of her peripheral vision. Rolling onto her belly, she saw them enter the clearing.

"Hello again, Agate," Gnarled Root spoke. "I hope the evening finds you well." Spear Throw nodded, remaining silent.

"Hello Root, hello Spear." Getting up on her haunches, she motioned for them to sit down. "Thank you for coming by again."

"Oh, don't mention it. Not like we're terribly busy with things. A great many little concerns from life vanish when you're a spirit, so you find yourself with plenty of free time to help ponies."

Agate nodded, thinking about her own experiences. She missed the taste of food, but not having to eat was a decent tradeoff. Same thing with her sense of touch and not feeling the freezing cold anymore. "So, what are we going to talk about this evening? Are you going to tell me more history of the snowpony spirits?"

Spear Throw shrugged. "Perhaps. You said you had more questions yesterday. We can answer what we're able, though we won't know everything," he said, likely thinking of Agate's "why are we spirits" question.

"Alright, well... Some simple questions first, I think. Are there any rules to becoming a guardian? Or does anyone that asks to stay get a totem built for them? Also, are there any rules to being a guardian? Should I be doing anything?"

"Hmmm..." Both of the older spirits lidded their eyes, deep in thought. Eventually, Spear Throw shook his head. "I've never heard of a spirit being denied the request to stay on," he said while glancing at Gnarled Root. When she didn't add anything, he continued. "I can't really imagine the circumstances where such a thing would happen. The spirits of our kin are greatly respected, more so if they decide to stick around and help out the others instead of going to their rest."

Gnarled Root spoke up, elaborating on his point. "It does take quite a lot of ponies several days of effort to get a totem pole made. I suppose if every pony that died decided to stay, there wouldn't be enough ponies for that, or even enough trees and other materials, for that matter. But, you don't really need a totem pole - you found us fine by yourself, yes? It makes your long vigil much more bearable, though.

As for rules, well... There's no such thing that I ever heard of. The spirits of hunters and other ponies skilled in the wilds tend to help others of their kind, while the wise spirits teach the inexperienced younglings. You're in a rather unusual situation, aren't you? Kind of like a tribe helper, but with no knowledge of the land, or family to care for. Don't worry, though, you're not obliged to do anything. You are still a foal, after all."

"Looks like these ponies really are very kind to their visitors," Agate concluded. The mention of family brought her mood down a little, which didn't go unnoticed by Gnarled Root. The old spirit was perceptive.

"I see you're sad about your family, young one. Are they alright? Or did they perish alongside you? Will you go to retrieve them, bring them here as well?"

Agate shook her head. "No, they're still alive. I think. I am worried about them, but- well, it's a long story. I'm going to be telling the chieftain and other ponies about how I ended up here in the morning after tomorrow. They said it's going to be in the great hall. You're welcome to come and listen in. Everyone keeps telling me that they're dying to hear more about my tribe."

Spear Throw snorted. "Well, if they're really dying, then I suppose we'll have more company soon. I'm sure they'll want to stay around to hear your story."

Gnarled Root burst out laughing. It took Agate a moment to understand the joke, but she also started to laugh, feebly covering her mouth with her hooves. Laughing at ponies dying sounded wrong, but the way he delivered it in his deadpan voice was just so funny!

It took them a minute to compose themselves, while Spear Throw calmly sat there, like he didn't even say anything. Gnarled Root was the first to speak. "The rarity of your jokes only makes them better when they happen. Don't ever change, Spear." The stallion just snorted again, electing to remain quiet.

"I think... I think they'll survive a little longer," Agate said, still smiling. "Are you going to come?"

"Wouldn't miss it for anything," Gnarled Root declared, with Spear Throw nodding along. "Don't be so surprised at ponies' eagerness to want to know about you. Discovering new ponies isn't simply a rare event, it's something that literally never happened in our entire known history. Or, new ponies discovering us, I suppose."

"Right. Will you wake up on time? Earthsong said she'd come to get me, but I don't know where your totems are. No, wait, I think I remember where Spear's is..."

"Oh, I'm sure we'll manage. The totem's enchantments grant us a relaxing rest, but we usually wake up quite early either way."

"Yeah..." Agate muttered, looking sideways at her own totem, the runes and crystals glowing softly. "I wonder how ponies even come up with things like this." She reached a hoof towards the wood, the crystals lighting up slightly brighter at her touch.

Gnarled Root tilted her head, watching the filly curiously. "I know the story of how the totems were created, actually. Would you like to hear it?"

The filly considered the offer, still rubbing her totem slowly. It was one of the few things that she could feel touching. "I think so, yes. I don't think I had all that many questions left. Except one, maybe, but I think it's one you won't be able to answer. The final destination, the afterlife... The place where the spirits go, what is it? What's it like?"

As she predicted, both of the older spirits shook their heads. Uncharacteristically, Spear Throw spoke first. "There are some things the shamares and ponies say, but none of it can be confirmed. No spirit ever returns. Most say that it is a cycle, same as with the material world. As your body returns to the Earth and becomes part of nature again, so does your spirit return to the Sky, and is reborn as a new spirit. Ponies tend to give their foals names of those departed for a generation or two, believing that it will grant them a part of the spirit's strength. Some ponies even take on multiple names from many ancestors, hoping it'll protect them from harm."

Agate twitched her tail, considering the idea. The snowponies had many interesting traditions, but having a whole bunch of names just sounded silly. How would you even introduce yourself? Pick one? But then you'd just have one name again. Use all of them? Then you'd sound ridiculous.

"Alright. I guess that answers that question. I'd like to hear the story about the totem poles, please."

Gnarled Root nodded, lowering her voice to an appropriate "story time" level.

"As the stories go, the idea of the totem pole came not from the southern or western tribes, but the northerners of the icy plains, where trees hardly grow. However, it was actually a long and convoluted journey until they reached that destination. It all started with a mare and stallion, a loving family. Unfortunately, their true names were lost to the winds of time. I'll use the ones I heard earliest, Warm Hearth and Icebreaker.

As you might have predicted already, Icebreaker fell to one of the many dangers of the north. Again, no specific details on how, but it does not matter for this story. Naturally, the stallion elected to stay alongside his mare, standing guard outside their igloo and protecting them from harm. Warm Hearth was saddened by the unfairness of it - without a totem, he would need to constantly focus just to see and hear, exerting his willpower day and night not to get lost in the darkness.

Now, there were known ways to grant a spirit strength, not the least of which was sharing a part of your own warmth with them. But Warm Hearth couldn't do it too often, as she had her hooves full with caring for her young foals. Months went by, and while Icebreaker never wavered, she never stopped trying to think up ways to help him, either.

One day, a daring explorer came back from his expedition to the deepest reaches of the north, with tales of amazing and bizarre places and creatures. One of them caught the mare's attention. The explorer spoke of huge, mighty wolves the size of three ponies or more, made not of flesh and blood, but of amazing, deep-blue colored ice and snow. He named them "floewolves", after the ice floes of the north.

What was even more fascinating about those wolves was that they were spirits, ones that could build bodies for themselves. The explorer found that out after one of the wolves started chasing him, almost killing him. But he was a canny one, and he always prepared well ahead. He set a trap on a foothill for just such an occasion, loosening some of the rocks so he could cause an avalanche, if needed. He galloped lightly over the snow, leading the huge predator right where he wanted it to go. The beast's heavy stomping loosed the rocks, crushing it into tiny fragments.

As he was examining the downed foe, he saw its spirit rising from the smashed remains, howling in anger and rage. The wolf was clearly unhappy with being bested, but it wasn't able to harm the explorer as a spirit. However, before the pony's very eyes, the fragments began reassembling themselves, the beast gazing at him malevolently as it slowly healed itself. Alarmed, the explorer quickly snatched the broken fangs and teeth from the ground, hoping it'd at least make the monster less dangerous if it managed to find him again.

The wolf howled again at this insult, blasting the explorer with a gust of wind. The pony laughed, seeing that at least for now, the monster was harmless. Giving its reforming body a strong buck for good measure, he fled the area, still laughing at the sound of scattering ice shards and angry growls. Still, he did not want to tempt fate, so he hightailed it out of there, fleeing all the way back to his tribe's encampment.

As proof, he presented the icy fangs of the floewolf to his tribe. None of the ponies dared to deny the truth before them - the ice was unbelievably strong, and the color was like no ice they have seen before. A freezing cold radiated from them, and not even a fire could melt it. The northern shamares were enthralled by it. It is said that they made mighty fang-tipped spears for the explorer, and learned to manipulate ice themselves by learning from those fangs... But that is a different story.

Warm Hearth was happy for the explorer's success, but she was mostly interested in the way those wolves manipulated the magical snow and ice. Could she build something similar for Icebreaker, so he would be able to rest and regain his strength, and perhaps even move, like the wolves did? She sought advice from the shamares, who were eager to learn and experiment.

It was not uncommon to build scary ice sculptures on the village outskirts as warnings. Instead, the mare built one in the shape of Icebreaker, lying down to rest. The ice and snow were blessed by the shamares, who sang and poured their strength into them. They even embedded one of the floewolf's teeth inside it. Icebreaker was called, and entered the sculpture, assuming the same position. After a few minutes, he emerged, flurries of snowflakes spinning about him.

He claimed that it was both invigorating and terrifying, like falling into the icy waters of the ocean. He felt strengthened, but absolutely freezing as well, something he hadn't felt in a long time. He was not able to possess the statue and move around like the wolves did, either. The one thing that caught ponies' interest was the claim that he could see through the statue's eyes, far better than he could as a spirit. Other guardian spirits tried the same thing, with similar results.

A few more attempts at it were made, but they all ended the same. Restoring the sight to their kinfolk's eyes would have been a great achievement by itself, but the ethereal cold from the enchanted ice made the spirits feel too uncomfortable. Eventually, the time for the Gathering came about, and the tribe packed up and moved to Snowpitt. They shared their knowledge with the other tribes, who were likewise amazed by the stories and touched by Warm Hearth's and Icebreaker's plight.

Aiding the guardians that had been selflessly sacrificing themselves even after their deaths stirred their hearts, and they all rose up to help. Many discussions were had. They talked for a great many days and nights, leaving only to eat and meditate, pleading the spirits of the world to give them an answer. They sang and dreamt, travelling through various worlds in dreams, bringing back small nuggets of knowledge from the blurred paths of the beyond.

The first thing that everyone agreed on was that ice was the wrong material - ponies lived in the snow, but their hearts were warm. Earth and stone were likewise discarded. The westerners suggested making a statue made of wood, and the shamares working their skills to charm it.

Ponies got to work. They had some limited success, but it was still marred by failures. A spirit was able to see through a statue's eyes, but the magic faded quickly, and the shamares had to constantly renew it. Still, step by step, they were discovering new and interesting things. One northerner shamare created charmed staves, woven with herbs, feathers, and hair from her own coat that also allowed a spirit clear sight, as long as they stood next to it. The magic didn't fade either, as long as the stave was jammed into the earth.

The southerners created better paint that was more durable, and became near impregnable when covered in resin. The runes and enchantments on the carvings lasted longer, and the guardians were able to stand watch inside them, their vision extended further than before. Ponies were happy, placing the statues and staves on the village outskirts, where the guardian spirits traditionally stood watch. They were immensely grateful, thanking their kin for restoring their full sight. Still, it wasn't enough. It felt incomplete.

Seeing this, the western shamares called the others to them, telling the other tribes of their immense forests. "Creating a shelter for an exhausted spirit to rest is a noble goal, but I think we're going about this the wrong way," their eldest said. "We carve the wood into the shape of a pony, but it is still just a dead, pony-shaped piece of a tree. As I have seen myself, no tree can live long without its roots. I say, let us take a whole tree with its roots, with the proper apologies to the tree's spirit, and then carve the likeness of the pony into it."

And so, they combined their skills into one. The westerner's knowledge of trees and woodworking, the southerner's paints and runes, and the northerner's charms and enchantments. Runes for clear sight, charms of healing and restoration, safe dreams and calm sleep. They toiled, carved, painted, and prayed to the Sky and Earth that this would work. They trimmed the tree, and bound the roots in every way they knew, sacrificing great chunks of their coats and tails to supply the magic needed. The tall totem pole was placed in the firepit of the great ceremonial grounds, roots firmly on the Earth, the top reaching towards the almighty Sky.

Icebreaker was presented with it, though he was hesitant. The totem pole positively glowed with the dedication, love, and warmth the ponies poured into their labor, and he felt he wasn't worthy of so much effort. At the urging of his wife, he went to touch it. The light flooded his eyes, blinding him. He felt warmth return to him, and - well, you know how it felt. You just went through it not that long ago," Gnarled Root laughed lightly, breaking her narration.

"Needless to say, the ponies were immensely satisfied with the results. They had found a way to ease the weight of the guardian's selfless work, paying back the kindness they were given. Some of the spirits objected, saying that they shouldn't "waste" so much effort to make them comfortable. Obviously, those objections were brushed aside. And the spirits didn't grumble anymore once they saw just how much better they were at doing their duties once they regained more of the senses they had in life.

Warm Hearth was delighted, of course. As the story goes, she was ready to drag the totem pole all the way north by herself, much to her tribe's amusement. They helped build a special sled for it, the biggest one they ever built, with over half a dozen ponies pulling it.

That wasn't the end of the tinkering with the design, of course. I see you have some spirit stones embedded in yours. That's a first. And I don't know who or when started adding the extra carvings to the totem poles," Gnarled Root said while indicating the circles of mountains and travelling birds on Agate's totem. "But I suppose since this story is about the first totem pole, those details aren't important."

"Wow..." Agate spoke softly.

The old spirit chuckled, swishing her tail. "Better story than last time, yes? Hopefully less sad, at least."

"Yes, much better, I think. Not that the last story was bad, just... Hard to listen to."

"Yes," Spear Throw agreed. "Some stories are painful, but they still contain important lessons. Best to experience the pain in a story than to experience it on your own hide."

"That sounds smart. Thank you, both of you. Are we going to make this a regular thing every night?" Agate inquired.

Spear Throw shrugged, while Gnarled Root smiled. "I'd love to! I'm always happy to teach, and I'm sure you have some interesting stories too. I'm sure we can meet many times before we run out of things to talk about. If none of us are busy, of course."

Nodding, the filly gazed towards the sky. "I'm not too good at telling the time yet, but I think it's really late. I think I should go to sleep now. See you next time."

"Goodnight, Agate," Gnarled Root chirped, while Spear Throw gave one of his silent nods before trotting away.

Agate took a long look at her totem, imagining the path through history it took to get here. Many, many ponies passing down the knowledge to their apprentices over the centuries, going back all the way to Warm Hearth and Icebreaker. However long ago that was.

"Well, if they can figure out something like that..."

She stuck herself inside it, letting the magic carry her away to sleep.

Comments

[Wingnut]

Oof. Here goes.

Lots of lore here. My thanks to all of the anons on /mlp/ that helped shape and create the snowponies. I'd like to thank anon, anon, anon, that one anon, and lastly - you'd never have guessed it - but anon created some pretty nice pieces of lore. Thank you all, couldn't have done it without you.

[Tyrian Purple]

Wonderful, this story is moving forward so well.

[scifipony]

11188154
For the reason I stated, I think you are taking people’s breath away.

[Eversong]

Been bing reading this and my journey continues

[Oreng Pingvin]

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For anon's