> Lorewalker
>  by Spirit Apathy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Horselords
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	

Spring had finally fallen over the Crystal Mountains and the ice and snow had begun to melt in rivulets cascading down to pool into Diamond Lake.
The air was crisp with the tinge of the cold atmosphere of the mountainous region but the Lord's Passage was finally clear and the human royalty would arrive within the hour according to the scouts.
The report was of a train as long as a mile made up of carts, blacksmiths, herders, knights, nobility, and the royal body itself.  It was of course not unexpected for the humans to make such a show of their coming to Equestria but many had hopped for a small and quick peace treaty signing. There was much unrest in the south with this sudden truce and many had turned to violence to prevent it.  This small army could easily be used as a pretext to instigate more infighting that the Horselords did not have time to deal with.
Coming of age at this time in history, some would have said that Lore was the luckiest centaur alive for he would be the first, after his father, to rule over his own Run in times of peace and mutual habitation with humans.
Lore, himself, thought himself unlucky in that view. He was just as pleased as his father about the end of a long war with the humans but he knew the fighting would not stop until their great-great-grandchildren came of age and their parents died along with the last bits of mistrust and hate.
He supposed it was better than to rule his Run, one who ran the lands near the Diamond Lake, during times of peace than of a war that few remembered why it had started in the first place.
“I see them!” Called out his nameless young brother as he pointed excitedly at the head of the approaching column at it turned inside the Lord's Pass.
“Don't point,” Chastised his sister Belle Bloom, “it's rude.”
The younger brother hunched his shoulders but his hoofs stamped at the ground excitedly.
“Let him enjoy it, Belle,”  Lore said amiably, “he has never seen humans before.”  That earned him a smile from his brother but he turned away quickly when he heard his father shouting.
“Call the other Horselords here,”  Black Ice hollered to his guards, “it won't do for them to believe we think lightly of their coming here.”
The two centaur behind turned and cantered off quickly to find the other delegates whom represent Equestria on this day.
“I think they'll have enough issues with the princess not being here either way, father.”  Lore whispered but his father gave no indication whether he heard.
Idiot. Lore thought to himself.  He should have kept his mouth shut as he well knew this day was stressful enough without being reminded what had gone wrong before it even started.
The ruling princess of Equestria, Celestia, had no choice but to stay behind in the only city of Equestria, Canterlot. The princess had decided to keep the opposing Horselords busy at the palace and try and soothe them in case they had any notions of leading their Runs across the land and disturb the signing of the peace treaty.
Equestria is ruled by mares known as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.  They are the ultimate law and the mothers of the entire centaur race from times immemorable. Runs and flights themselves are mostly lead by solely stallions that are strong and hotblooded enough to protect those they lead from opposing Runs and Flights as well as humans.  
A Run or Flight would cut itself a piece of Equestria and run through it endlessly as they fed off the lands living in peace and mostly in seclusion from the others but there are always those who wish to harm others and fighting was a frequent part of life in Equestria.
The princesses were goddesses of a sort their people and stayed out of most affairs that did not directly concern them but their love and justice had been felt by many and no one ever feared complete chaos overtaking Equestria.
The other Horselords began to arrive one by one with their coats smoothed down and their manes brushed to a shimmer.  Some wore leather vests that clasped at the base of their necks, letting everyone see their great bulging biceps while some had adopted the custom of buttoned or clasped coats that officials wore in the human cities.
The women had adopted hairstyles, makeup, and large gems as part of their attires but rarely covering up the breasts or arms with cloth much to the contentment of every stallion.
Though, they themselves horselords, they all parted when two of the Great Lords of Equestria made their way to stand side by side with Black Ice.
First came the pegasi Sky Runner; a great bellowing male who had rallied the disorganized fleets of pegasus fliers when the last Great Lord, Thunder Flash, had perished while protecting the shores of Equestria from the human ship fleets over thirty years ago. His sudden death, with no heir, made the more influential members of his Run vie for power and ultimately caused the great Flight under Thunder's command to disband into small roving flights that assimilated any weaker Flight they could to strengthen their numbers.
Sky Runner, a simple rank and soldier at the time, had his Flight under siege by one of the roving Flights and when their Horselord died he was the one who rallied the others and fought the enemy back successfully. From then on, stories had been written and sung of his exploits as he and his men in turn assimilated all the roving Flights and became the next Great Horselord Pegasus; a spiritual heir of Thunder Flash.
Next came Wild Rose, the Great Horselord of the Unicorns. A tall white coated mare who, despite being a battle hardened soldier, had never lost her feminine beauty though her muscles were greatly defined on the her bare body.
Like all unicorns, Rose is magically trained and had been brought up by the greatest of teachers in her youth.  Her powers have grown formidably and quickly so to attract the attention of the dearly departed Horselord Red Iris.  Wild Rose became the elder's protege and groomed to be Iris' replacement when her time came to pass on the great Run amongst the stars.
Her powers are said to be formidable but few have ever seen them and her Horselordship is a fresh one giving many pause as to what kind of Horselord she will be.
“I heard they are riding horses to greet us.”  Sky Runner mouth twisted.  “Are they trying to provoke us?”
“No doubt they want to show that they are getting the better part of the deal.” Mused Wild Rose with a shrug.
“There is no need to take this as an affront,”  Sighed Black Ice. “they come as humans come: on horseback.”
The horse was a sacred animal to the centaur and seeing one bound and ridden was a terrifying sight. Some humans had even tried saddling centaur and ride them but quickly learned every mare and stallion will break their backs by crushing their rider underneath them rather then be treated like an animal. 
“I am King Logan of the Iceland,”  A barrel chested man spoke from his white stallion, draped in the finest of soft leathers and satin and velvets money could buy.  His cape was crimson trimmed in gold with the frozen heart of Iceland embroidered upon it. “This is Mary, my wife, and my two children Logan and Frederick.”
From their own white stallions, the young man gave a court nod to the Horselords assembled before them but Lore could see that they were nervous.  They could not have been more than five and twenty each but their demeanor made it seem like neither had ever seen a centaur before.
“We thank you for inviting us to your lands on such amiable terms.” On a chestnut mare, the Queen smiled down at them, only a head taller than most centaur.
“This peace is greatly desired by the Princesses and every centaur alike, your highness.”  Black Ice began.  “Open battle between two people should never be allowed to last as long as ours had for such petty matters.  How much have we both lost in all those years?”
“We have all paid dearly for our mistrust and hatred.”  The queen's voice was warm and full of sincerity but the king's expression wasn't as sympathetic.
“My pardons,”  Began Wild Rose.  “We are the three Great Horselords of Equestria and each speak for their respective kind.”  She gave a deep bow and continued once she straightened. The bow was more than necessary and showed just how unaccustomed centaur were to the human customs of bowing and speaking with etiquette. “I am Wild Rose, Great Horselord of the Unicorns.  This here,”  She gestured to her left with a wave of her hand, “is the Great Horselord of the Earth: Black Ice and next to him is the final Great Horselord Sky Runner of the Pegasi.”
“It's a pleasure.”  Sky Runner squinted in confusion, obviously trying to remember how to properly behave before the human royals.
“And these princesses of yours?”  The king asked, seemingly bored. Mary cleared her throat behind a gloved hand and the king took a deep breath.  “Princess Celestia and Luna; we had hoped to meet them here to greet us.”  His sudden warm tone made it clear to Lore just how much the queen influenced the king's actions.  He doubted the king was for this peace as much as he proclaimed to be and now believed the queen was the strongest ally the centaur had against any opposing forces of the peace treaty.
“The Great Horselords speak for the princesses on this day.”  Black Ice spread his hands.  “The princesses had no choice but to remain at Canterlot and keep the peace as many demanded their attention to have the peace treaty explained to them.”
“It is a shame that some hold the prejudice and hate between our two people so close at heart that they cannot seize the opportunity for a peace so easily as we do today.”  The queen replied just as the king opened his mouth to speak.  Lore choked down a laugh of pure joy to see that the peace was in such good care on the human side.  “And this smiling your man?”
“Ah, my pride and joy!”  Black Ice thumped his chest with a fist.  “This here is my son and one of our greatest historians, Lore.  Along with my daughter Belle Bloom and my nameless young colt.”
“It's an honor.”  He and Belle both said with a court bow but the nameless brother remained mute.
“You don't name your young?”  The king, incredulously, spoke before he could hold it back.
Does he know nothing of us? Lore sighed inwardly and wondered how a man could command war without knowing the first thing about his foe. “We are given names when our own unique special talents are found which is when our Mark appears on our flanks.”  Lore moved forward and showed them his side.  “I am called Lore because, as my father said, history to me is the same breathing and my Mark is an open book.”
“I am called Belle Bloom for I am beautiful and every plant that I grow turns out stunning to behold.”  She showed her flank too but with more grace than Lore had. “My Mark is a floral bouquet of twisting vines and colored petals.”
“We have so much to learn from one another.”  Exclaimed the queen with mirth in her voice.  “And I do say you certainly are a beauty, Lady Belle Bloom.  I might be beautiful as well but I'm afraid my name is just Mary; nothing special about that.”  She laughed.  “I've heard that the skies here are always the color of liquid silver and your greenery is rusty orange like color and that your dirt is midnight black.”
“It is, your majesty.”  Lore replied.  “Humans and centaurs alike pass through the Lord's Pass just to see green grass or orange grass.  I've seen it once and it was so strange.  Your skies are blue and seemingly never ending while ours is like a plate of metal above our heads to keep us from falling out into the stars.”
“So much time wasted on hurting one another instead of being sharing our two amazing worlds.”  She said sadly as she looked about at the unblemished silver sky above her.
“Well, let's not waste any more time and start for Canterlot.”  Black Ice turned and the other Horselords flanked the royal procession as he lead them down the road.
They moved slowly so the carts and mules could keep up and the human royalty spent most of their time inside their lofty gilded caravans.  The Great Horselords were too bulky to fit inside so they stayed near the windows where they could speak comfortably with the king and queen.
The noble entourage kept mostly to themselves, easily unnerved by the harsh voices of the centaur and their imposing statures but many of the knights took up to sparring matches and inviting the stallions for hunts and gambling which made everyone forget that only a few short weeks ago they had been knee deep in each others blood.
There were of course a few arguments and some of it came to blows but the Horselords wasted no time in breaking these up.  They knew better than to allow any negativity rise up along the followers or the entire peace could dissolve then and there especially if some group decided to no longer listen to their king or their horselord.
It was on the third day that Belle Bloom woke Lore from his sleep under a willow tree he had spotted not too far from the column.
“Have you seen our brother?”  She asked as she poked her fingers between the drooping leaves to scan for him.
“Not since the Lord's Pass.”  Lore straightened himself and rubbed the sleep from his face.  “Are you alright?  Your mane is all disheveled.”  He approached her and ran his fingers through her mane and tried straightening it out.  The green strands parted easily and he plucked a few dried flowers from her lower back where she kept her mane short.
“I'm worried.”  She admitted.  “It's not unlike him to runoff or to find himself some other colts to play with but I've been asking around and no one's seen him.”
“There's so much going on that I'm sure no one paid any special attention to another young colt running about.  He's probably somewhere down the line; you saw how uncomfortable he was in front of the royalty.”
“Did you see how uncomfortable Sky Runner?” She let out a soft giggle.  “But honestly, I'd feel much better if I knew he was alright.”
“Well, we are getting rather close the Everfree forest, I suppose.” Lore made his way out from under the canopy of branches and looked toward the dark and gloomy forest.  Even in the brightest of days, there was a rolling fog that drifted out in long tendrils before retreating back into the darkness of the leaves and pine needles.  “The others who brought their young would most likely look for them to keep them firmly at their side.  If we take a look, I bet we'll find him parting with some friends.”
“I hope you're right.”  Belle said nervously as they made their way to the front of the column.
They spent most of the morning move down the column and stopping to ask every young filly and colt if they've seen their brother and asked the parents if they've seen him as well.  
Their search was fruitless by the time the white sun reached its peak and started his slow descent down across the sky.
“We could go lower, where all the camps and herders are.  Maybe he's met some of their young and has been playing with them?”  Lore scratched the hair on his back as gazed around himself for any sign of the young colt.  
He had not been worried at first, certain they would find him safe and sound but now he felt as if his sister had been right.
“Lore,” She sighed.  “he's far too timid to be around the humans I think but I suppose he'll be in the last place we look.”  She smiled to assure herself but could not summon the hope to believe in it.
“Excuse me,”  A small voice came from Lore's flank and he saw a young colt that he had talked to earlier.  “you haven't found your brother, have you?”
“No.”  Lore shook his head.  “Did you remember something?”
“I didn't say anything in front of my parents because I didn't want to get in trouble.”  He said nervously.
“Don't worry.” Belle lowered herself to look straight at the colt's eyes.  “We won't tell if you tell us.”
“Okay, I guess.”  He looked behind him to make sure no one was listening. “He said he had bad dreams about the Everfree forest and I think I saw him go inside this morning.”
“You think?”  Lore asked, suddenly alarmed.
“It was just a shadow, I don't know.”  The boy fretted at Lore's tone.  “It was from faraway and something was moving really fast like if it was running and went straight inside.  It could have been an animal I suppose but...”
“No,”  Lore sighed.  “You saw right.  Why else would he be missing and no one else?” He looked back at the young colt.  “You did the right thing, little colt.”  He gave him an affection shake on the shoulder.  “Now, go back to your parents and we won't tell them like we promised.”
Nodding his head quickly, the young colt darted away back up the column.
“Maybe it was just a hunter from the human camp thinking to find himself breakfast?” Belle added with a reassuring smile but it quickly withered when she saw Lore's face.  “I'm just thinking wishfully, aren't I?”
“Hopefully, you're right.”  He placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed gently.  “Let's go see if we find any tracks before we tell father and then he'll go find him with some of his other lords.”
“Shouldn't we just tell him now?” She was scared to approach the forest and that was plain to see.
“No, that would only cause a commotion if we're wrong and father needs to remain with the royal family.  Let's just go have a look, alright?”
“Okay, but just a quick look on the outside.”  She stamped her hooves as she braced herself and followed Lore back toward the trees so they could approach the forest without raising any suspicion from the others.
At full gallop, it took them only minutes to move across the field as they slid from the shadows of trees and rocks to hide themselves from wandering eyes.
The forest was even more imposing up close with its tall black trunks and soaring red and orange leaves that blotted out the sun to cast all sorts of shadows and strange sights in the dark gloom.
Lore himself had never ventured so close and he knew better than most was the forest was and the stories that were told of it.  It is not true that no one ever made it out but most had suffered horrific sights and had stated to have been watched and followed by things they could not identify.
Some had said they had been lost for months despite the forest being rather small when compared to the wild lands to the south east where there were no Runs to cultivate or log the land.
“I don't see anything.”  Belle Bloom moved about with her head low as she inspected for hoof prints.
“Those,”  Lore pointed to prints that were spaced out as if a centaur had run straight in.  “they look fresh and, if I'm not wrong, are the right size.”
“Sweet silver skies...”  She gasped.  “Let's go tell father.”
“Yes let's g-”  A shriek filled the air.  “What was that?” Lore turned his head toward the sound and found himself peering through the fog of the forest.
“That sounded like him, didn't it...”  Belle's voice trailed as she watched horrified.
“Don't just stand there!”  Lore urged and galloped ahead into the darkness without looking to see if Belle followed and soon found himself swallowed in the gray mists of the Everfree forest.
> The Prophet
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was another strange dream that visited him late on the third night from when the column began its march to Canterlot. He’s had these dreams before but never so clear, so raw, or so real.
They were not like a regular dream; he was all too well aware of it being a dream and yet filled with thoughts and memories that made no sense or he knew could not have happened. When he woke, he could ever only remember the feel of it and a general idea of everything that had occurred and a sliver of the knowledge he had in them.
This dream, however, seemed more like many smaller dreams all connected to one another as they sped by his eyes and in moments just as could begin making sense of them.
The first thing he noticed was that the sky was all wrong.  It was a swirling mass of red clouds that stretched out beyond view and something seemed to cause the objects around him lose definition and fade to black.
There was a woman sitting at her vanity table and giving herself a queer smile in the mirror.  He was at her back and could not make out any of her features except that her gown was silk and see through.  He tried approaching but he stopped short when he saw that her reflection was a blackened blur.
As he tried to understand why her reflection was hidden from him the darkness took shape and large bare trees rose from the ground until they touched the sky and he found himself in a dark forest.
He could not make out anything except for the stones that surrounded him, littering the ground before him haphazardly.
When he looked closer, the stones were not rough but smooth and he could make out some details like an eye and a single claw.  The rest were too plain to make out what part of the statue they had been before it had shattered.
A laugh shot out from all around him and echoed across the darkness.  The world began to spin and break apart; shattering into fragments and falling into the whirlpool of clouds in the sky.
He closed his eyes and screamed as he felt himself falling along into the dark and his breath cut from him when he felt his back crash on the ground that had not been there moments ago.
Wincing in pain, he opened his eyes to find himself an empty library.  The shelves were bare and unreasonably tall and he was all alone. There was no dust, no cobwebs, and the lack of sound hurt his ears.
As he spun around, he noticed a lector and on it was an old leathery book with yellowing pages.  He approached it slowly, as if he was afraid the world would break apart at any moment but his heart seized in panic when he saw the letters vanishing before his eyes.
He then lurched forward and grabbed the book and tried to read faster than the words disappeared but he could only read a few words before they vanished and he could not grasp the meaning of them.
However, one word was appearing over and over as he sped down the pages: harmony.
He froze then when the silence of his dream world break by the sound of a water droplet falling to the ground.
He turned to find the library gone and instead saw the silhouette of a centaur standing motionless and in front of him a human sprawled on the ground.  His eyes darted back to the centaur as he tried to make out his features but before he could even think of calling out; he saw the glint of the blade in his hands and the drops of blood falling one by one unto the ground.
“Lore?” He said finally, unsure why that was the first name that came to him.
His brother turned to him, a wicked smile on his face and he opened his mouth to speak but instead of words coming out an old leathery hand shot out and Lore’s face became a black void that began sucking the very light out of the room.
The hand grabbed at the air and began pulling the very room into the black hole it was emerging from and as it flailed about he could do nothing but run in the opposite direction.
Soon, he found himself in a place he was familiar with.
He had dreamed of it before; the Whiteness.
As he turned back, he saw the hand turn left and right as if it were looking with its fingers to make sure it had grabbed every last bit of reality and left nothing but unblemished white in the universe.
Another dark hole opened just above the hand and he could make out the glimmer of an eye gazing at him from it.
The hand suddenly shot forward and its outstretched fingers became a claw like blur ready to rend the hide of his back.
He screamed again.
The air was cold was cold in the Everfree forest and the mist left him feeling damp and chilled to the bone.  The ground was sucking at his hooves and made his cautious trek across the forest even slower and harder than he had imagined when he had set out before the sun had risen that morning.
Thinking of the dream, it made him uneasy. Not only was he confused and frightened by what he had seen but made him uneasy to realize how clearly he remembered it compared to all the others he’s had before.  Every single detail was imprinted in his memory and he knew that none of those things could mean anything good.
He pushed the thoughts away as he tried to discern exactly where to go now that he was so deep and assumingly lost in the forest.
“The forest is a place that is beyond the laws of Equestria.” Lore had often told him.  "The forest itself is a living thing and creates its own universe.  Most monsters and certain creatures that live in Equestria have come out of the forest first and don’t ever think to apply logic or trust your sense of direction in there.  The forest is alive and it knows you’re inside.”
He had always assumed Lore had been embellishing the tales a little to scare him and the other children so they wouldn’t even think of daring one another to go as close to the forest as they could to see who was the bravest which was a common game to play.  He had never been very brave and he stayed far from the edge and let the others go up right to the trees and suffered their teasing in silence.  
Now, he had without a second thought, run right into the woods themselves and found himself more lost than scared. However, now he knew that Lore had not been lying when he had told him of the forest. Every step he took made him feel more vulnerable and exposed than the last.
Occasionally, he looked up and could see blue between the high reaching branches instead of the silver sky of Equestria and even in the dark he could tell the grass and leaves were green instead of orange or red.
He could hear things in the dark that he could neither see nor guess at what they were. There were roars, rustling, steps, chirps, and all sorts of small noises and cracks that made him freeze and watch his surroundings with caution for any sign of movement.
“Monsters are born inside the Everfree forest and the deeper you go, the bigger they get.” Lore had said and his mind began to race with images of all manners of beasts from manticores to lions, dragons to ogres, and cockatrices to ursa.  
Who knows what else lurks in here. He shuddered and made himself move quicker. How did I even get in here?
He knew how he got there, just this morning on a full gallop, but the why eluded him.
When he had woken from his nightmare, he had felt the pull to go into the Everfree forest and despite being clear of mind there was no churning of the guts, nervous butterflies, or even the voice in his head known as reason that should have been shouting at him to not take another step toward the forest.
He could not even understand why he had come. He felt as if he should keep going but toward what he had no idea.  There was something in these woods that he had to find.
  The statue, perhaps. He told himself as he reflected back on the dream.
The statue had been in a dark forest and he was in a dark forest right now. If he kept going far enough maybe he’d find it. And then what?
He sighed and jumped over a thick root just as he heard bark creak loudly behind him.
His head shot back to meet nothing but darkness and the silent trees. Something was out there and very close.
Too close.
As he turned back, he saw something move and his head snapped right back.
Nothing was there.
However, something bothered him about the darkness ahead of him. Just a moment ago, he could have sworn the trees had not been so close together and the branches weren’t quite so low.
He felt something bump against his flank and he reared with a shout.
Breath heaving, he saw nothing there but the tree he had been next to.
  The wood is closing in on me. He thought to himself and before he could tell himself how silly the notion was he remembered Lore telling him to not trust his own knowledge of the world in here.
He bolted.
Hooves trampled the ground furiously as he madly went forward using his hands to shield his eyes from the assaulting branches. The forest was now filled with the sounds of moving branches, snapping bark, and rustling leaves and every sound only urged him to run faster and further.
He did not have a moment to spare to think and all his energy and focus was put to making sure he did not trip, run off a cliff, or break his legs. Just like a horse, a centaur could not easily recover from such an injury without a unicorn to mend the break magically and there were no unicorns in the Everfree forest who would come to his rescue; he knew that.
Light began to filter little by little in the distance and he realized he was almost out of the forest and with his breathing growing quick he felt a rush of hope propel him forward.
When he broke from the trees and into the open air, he slowed to a canter before coming to a full stop as his body suddenly began flooding him exhaustion from the sudden run and the air burned his lungs as he gulped air. He needed water.
As if by answered prayer, he found himself in a clearing with a circular lake not too far from where he stood and he walked over as quickly as he could with his ragged breathing.
He laid his body down and bent to allow his hands to cup the water and bring it up to his lips which he slurped as much and quickly as he could to get another hand full of water.
It took him the better part of a minute to regain his calm and sate his thirst but the fear induced run left him feeling weaker than usual.  It was only then that he noticed the statue on the far side of the small lake and his heart seized when he saw it.
“It’s here...”  He whispered to himself, almost in a daze as he made his way toward it in haste.
It was too far for him to make out any features but he could tell it wasn’t equine in any way.  It was too long and straight and thin where it should have been stocky. He figured it to be a snake of some sort but as he got closer he began noticing a faint purple pulsing emanating from its center.
As he approached more and more, the pulsing quickened and grew until he could hardly see the statue at all.
He felt himself lifted off his hooves and flung back as a blinding white light burst from the purple pulsations and the hard ground scraped his sides painfully.
Lifting his head right back up to see what happened, he saw nothing but the shattered remains of the statue.  Only a few feet away from his he saw the carved eye and claw just as he had in his dream.
The laugh from his dream erupted suddenly, catching him by surprise so that he gave a shout in terror as he whirled about to see its source but found nothing.
He knew it was watching him; he could feel its eyes all over his body.
He turned himself round and round as another laugh floated trying desperately to pinpoint where the creature had gone but he saw nothing.
Then he heard the rustle behind him.
He kicked as hard as he could with his hind legs.
“Woah!”  A male voice rang out. “Didn’t you hear me calling you?”
He turned about, eyes wide with shock.  “Lore?”
“Yeah, didn’t you hear me calling you?”  His brother repeated as he gazed around the clearing.  “What were you thinking coming in here?”
“I’m sorry!”  He cried out, feeling tears welling up under his eyes. “I didn’t hear you.” He grabbed his brother’s chest and sobbed against it, relief washing over him now that he was safe and found.
“Hey, don’t cry.”  Lore reassured him. “I’m not mad; just glad you’re safe. And good thing I was still a foot away from you or you’d have really hurt me.” He chuckled as his little brother sobbed out more apologies.
“What were you doing in here anyways?” He pushed his brother back a little and wiped the tears off his cheeks with his thumb.
“I don’t know.” He said between sobs.  “Did you hear me screaming?”
“Yes, that’s how I found you. Did something scare you?”
“There was a statue there.”  He pointed and Lore looked over to see the broken carved stones littering the ground.  “Just like in my dream and then it watched me and kept laughing.”
“You dreamed of this?”  Lore bent to pick up a stone and examined it. “No telling what the statue was now.  Never heard of a statue coming to life either.”
“Everything I dream comes true.”  He said as he stopped his crying.  “But this was different. It only came true because I came here, to the Everfree forest.  If I hadn’t, I could have made my dream wrong.”
“This happened to you before?” Asked Lore and waited for his brother to nod.  “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I didn’t know what the dreams were.  I thought I was making things up in my head.”  He looked about nervously.  “I was scared.”
“Well, if it makes you feel any better,” Lore pointed to his brother’s flank. “you got something out of this, it seems.”
Craning his head to the side, he saw he had his mark. “My mark!”
“And you’re just fourteen, not too bad.” Lore ruffled his hair.  “I was sixteen when I got mine and it’s not as half as interesting as yours.”  He examined his little brother’s mark and found it to be like none he had ever seen before.  It was a black head with a white eye in the middle instead of two on either side.  His third eye.  “And you finally get a name!  Wonder what father will give you? Maybe Brave Dreamer or Fortune?”
“What am I, exactly?” He asked, and Lore stopped smiling.
“You’re a centaur, an earth one to be exact. You’re also my brother.” He put his hands around his brother.  “That’s the important thing that you can never forget. You can see the future in your dreams, that’s strange on its own but not unheard of.  I know a little but I think Wild Rose could tell you a lot more than me.”
“I’m scared.”  He remembered seeing Lore murdering a human in his dream but he knew than to say anything.
“Don’t be.”  Lore reassured him with a smile and a pat.  “Let’s head back; sister has probably the entire column ready to charge the forest to find us.”
“Father is going to be mad.”
“No,” Lore started but thought for a moment. “Not in the way you’re thinking. Besides, at least you’ve got something to show for it and until the day you’ll die you’ll be known as one of the bravest centaurs in all of Equestria.”
“I spent most of the time running and panicking, actually.”  He admitted.
“Well, that’s not how I’ll spin the story.”  Lore winked and urged him along back to the edge of the forest.  “Good thing you didn’t go far; I can almost see the outside from here.”
“What?”  The young brother was confused. “I was here for hours.”
“You were lost, little brother, you probably went around in circles without noticing.”
“No, Lore, I ran straight and only straight.”  He paused. “The trees. They were moving.”
Lore looked at him momentarily before speaking. “The Everfree Forest is something scary, isn’t it?  Trust me, I know more about this place than I dare say.” He looked up at the blue sky blankly and sighed.  “The way out is just ahead, follow me.”
“Okay.”
He followed Lore and in less than a minute he could see the light and silver sky of Equestria filtered through the edging trees of the forest. The forest had brought him back.  It had taken him inside and then right back out.
    So why can I still feel its eyes on me?
> The Skaald
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rooms were large and spacious, just as one would have expected, but he had noticed how odd Equestrian furniture was compared to those back home in Iceland.
The doors were large, far too large for any man, but just right for the slightly wider centaurs that built the palace of Canterlot, and could be swung open from the first half to reveal only a centaur's human half. Most doors had latches, same as any he had ever seen, but Canterlot was a seat of magical research and ingenuity so all the doors could be opened by the word open or a password set by the occupant to keep it locked from others.
The tables were too high for comfort for a human and the seats were mostly overly large cushioned stools that he found he'd need to hop down from if he ever sat on one.
"Even the beds are strange."  He flopped against the large lipped bed and looked up at the silk hangings could open and close with a simple fastening.  Pillows all around the lip, he figured centaurs slept in whatever position took their fancy. "Soft, though. They got that right, at least." He smiled.
Mikhael the Skaald had seen many great human cities, guested in a few royal and noble homes, and must have been patron in every inn no less than twice from his treks across Iceland. However, he had never once set foot in Equestria and had figured Canterlot to be nothing more but more or less permanent stationary tents made of hides and cloth like the many Runs setup every night when they took rest.
For a people with no permanent structures, their architecture towers above much of Iceland's finest. He mused as he looked over his marble white room, ceiling high windows and lush patterned crimson carpets. Hope the royals don't see fit to leave too early. He sighed and wrapped his arms around himself as he played with the idea of taking a nice long rest from the march from Lord's Pass to Canterlot.
Knock knock.
Groaning, "What is it?" he said loudly for his voice to carry across the large room.
"Queen Mary is calling you." An unfamiliar voice replied just as loud.
A centaur. He figured from the roughness in the voice.
He moved to the door, missing the feather bed dearly, and opened to see a centaur clad in white chest plate armor and a blue feathered hem that mimicked a horses mane.
"I'll take you to her."  He said at once. "Canterlot Palace is easy to get lost in for newcomers." He wrapped his hands around across his chest and walked slowly ahead of Mikhael.
"Do you know what the Queen wants?"  Mikhael asked, biting down on his annoyance at the impromptu summons.
"Can't say I do." Was all his escort said.
"May I ask your name?"  He asked, having found himself immensely amused at hearing the names of every centaur he came across. Up till now, his favorite had been a large chested mare called Charity for her renowned generosity but her name had evoked quite a few lewd and bawdy verses to put in song instead.
"Brave Red."  He answered without pause. "Called that for saving a few women from my Run from Timber Wolves when I was a colt when my coat was more red than brown. Seems to have darkened over the years." He added in a tone that suggested he wasn't really paying attention.
"I'm Mikhael the Skaald,"  Mikhael replied and the guard glanced back to look him up and down momentarily before turning back without a hint of what he had thought of him. "no last name like the nobles; simple man from simple birth." Brave Red gave no reply and they walked silent the rest of the way.
They passed through corridors, hallways, antechambers, staircases, and even a few balconies but always up and up until Mikhael figured they must be close to the roof of the palace and where the two deity-like alicorns must reside as well.
"In here." Brave Red opened the door and stepped aside to let Mikhael through who muttered his thanks.
The queens apartments were more spacious and well decorated than his own and he noted that her handmaidens had already unpacked and personalized the room their mistress' liking. Her personal vanity mirror had been brought from her chambers in Iceland and placed next to the circular velvet bed she had been given.
Her back was to him but he noted that her reflection's eyes were squarely on him.
"Mikhael," She did not turn and her eyes went back to contemplating herself. "what do you think of Equestria?"
"It's," He paused as he thought for the right word. "magical."
"My thoughts exactly." A hint of a smile crept on her ruby lips. "I want you to go out into the city and learn tales and songs of every sort that have to do with magic. It's such a rare thing in Iceland and we'd be remiss to not find out as much as we can from it from the Equestrians."
"I will gladly do so for you, my queen," He gave a short bow but continued when he looked back at her reflection. "but perhaps I can suggest to have Wild Rose, the unicorn, brought to you? She is, after all, one of the most talented here in Equestria."
"I had thought of it but it seems that she is occupied now with some child that got list in the forest we passed on our way here."
"Ah, perhaps a few tales of the Everfree Forest would interest you?" He suggested.
"I've heard a bit here and there of it; I believe such stories would do, Skaald."  She waved her hand away. "Away, now. I must prepare myself to meet the princesses."
"As you will." He bowed, a bit more deeply this time, and showed himself out of her rooms.
So much for rest. He sighed. But at least the audience was brief.
Mikhael had first started as a sort of guest to the royal court over a year ago when the queen first fell in love with his charms, wit, and skill with song and had promptly showered him with gifts and favors to keep him nearby at all times to play for her in her chambers, at dinners, and at any event that required a bit of talent to entertain guests.
At first, this had been a sort of dream come true for him. He had become, seemingly overnight, the most famous and envied wandering minstrel in all the land, and he had been rather content. All the women he could he could want, a staff to take care of him, and free from any financial woes that plagued most men. He had reached as high as he could ever climb despite being a man with no family name to him.
As the months passed, he began to notice the blank stares that oft overtook the queen and noted how her handmaidens began to inch away from the queen until her eyes returned to their usual joyful blue hue. At other times, she stared at her mirror, just as she had now, and seemed entirely entranced by her own reflection. 
But the worst of all began to occur a few months prior to the peace treaty agreement between the Great Horselords and the kingdom of Iceland. Dark moods had taken over Mary where, when no one of note were to be seen, she would lash out at guards, maids, and even Mikhael for next to no provocation and she began consorting with all sorts of scholars and sorcerers that could tell her of myths, legends, and anything related to magic.
Lately, Equestria and the two princesses were all that seemed to make her smile.
Mikhael was more than pleased to help out in any he could but he had learned to fear his queens dark moods and her sudden interest in all things magic frightened him. She had always been known to be a good queen and the only one who kept the long war from growing by leaps and bounds as the royal family had allowed in the past.
He was worried and he was not sure what he could do about it.
All he could think was keep faith in the queen and do as he was told.
Equestria was a fascinating land with it's silver skies and orange flora but Canterlot was an amazing accomplishment that few could boast of having done better.
Everything was chiseled and cut stone and painted or engraved with images of centaurs, blooming nature, and strange lettering he had never seen before. Every building was white as snow with deep violet, gold, crimson, and emerald green patterned inlays spiraling down roads, hemming the streets, and cascading down houses and shops.
It was as if a single minded artist had been given an entire city to design as he wished and had spared no expense and comprised nothing to create something straight out of a fairytale.
"You could say the entirety of Equestrian architecture was pooled into this one city forcing the Runs to live in tents and makeshift homes and the pegasi in the clouds." A voice floated to Mikhael and he found himself near a male unicorn with a deep blue mane and a goldenrod coat. "Saw you staring, human," He shrugged with a sly smile. "most of your kind is quite amazed by our home. You'll mostly find unicorns here." He tapped the spiral horn that grew from the top of his forehead.
"Yes," Mikhael nodded with his arms splayed out. "this city is beyond compare."
"Princess Celestia and Luna made this the home of the centaur long ago when it was still atop a mountain. The centaur grew numerous and they began to go down the mountain and made their homes in the fields and valleys below. However, stallions proved themselves to be an aggressive sex and, outnumbering mares at the time, became hostile to those who were not of the same Run or Flight that impeached on their lands."
"I suppose the fighting certainly diminished the desire for permanent cities." Mikhael ventured a guess as he stood listening to the unexpected tale.
"Certainly one of the reasons but it never got all that bad, or so the little history we know of the time states, and centaur were always a free folk that needed to move." The stallion gave a mock rear with a laugh. "As I mentioned, unicorns mostly live here in Canterlot just as they had ages long ago. The mountain was destroyed by Star Swirl the Bearded in anger at the centaur who had tried to remove themselves of Princess Celestia's and Luna's influence."
"Remove?"
"Equestrian's are a matriarchy by design and by choice." The stallion pointed at a nearby wall and moved to rest himself against it, one hoof crossing the other. "Mares, unlike stallions like myself, have less bloodlust in them and therefore influence those around them to remain calm. If you look around, you'll notice mares are usually the owners and horselord of a Run or Flight.
Princess Celestia and Luna are both mares as well and from them we have learned all that is good and do our best to follow their example. There were those who viewed them as simply centaur who were immortal and had no right to govern and rule Equestria as goddesses. They tried everything they could in those days to remove the princesses from power with war, magic, assassins, and blasphemy.
Eventually, Star Swirl the Bearded, a great unicorn, had no choice but to end the uprisings once and for all. Using the most powerful magic known to us, he decimated the mountain on which Canterlot rested on and with it the morale of every heathen that turned and fled for their lives from the wizard.
It was only years later that his death was confirmed by our two princesses but whatever fight the enemy has had in the past was long gone. Most believe that after seeing the powers of a single mortal unicorn, they feared the power of our immortal creators more than ever."
"How did the city survive?"
"Princess Celestia and Luna knew of Star Swirl's plan and shielded the city withing a powerful bubble of magic that kept the city aloft until it landed safely on the ground below once the mountain fell apart."
"But, if they are so powerful, why did they let any of it happen or even allow the war between our two people to go on so long?"  MIkhael had heard the stories but never from any reliable source - ignoring the fact this stranger could be just any old misinformed fool.
"They..." He paused as he thought. "live amongst us. They eat with us and they watch over us by giving us law and protecting us from things that only they can stop but they do not act on matters that they believe we have to learn and do on our own."
"Like a mother letting her children make mistakes because she knows they won't repeat them once they see it for themselves." Mikhael noted.
"Exactly." The stallion nodded with a grin. "So, why are you so interested in us Equestrians? The others seem content enough to keep their distance from us even in our own city."
"Me?" Mikhael was abashed. "I'm never one to pass up a story. I'm Mikhael the Skaald. I entertain the royal court with song and tale,"
"Not too many of your kind in Equestria." He gave a snort. "I'm Hocus Pocus, warmage of Canterlot." He gave a small bow with a hand on his heart.
"A warmage?" Mikhael's smile soured. "Guess you're the reason why so many died during the war."
"I'll admit I killed a handful of humans." Hocus shrugged. "I'll say I enjoy fighting and killing too but I'm no monster."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" Mikhael stammered an apology.
"Hey, no problem." He grinned. "War is war and now this is peace. If we taboo the subject, we shame what we fought for and ourselves."
"I'll drink to that." Mikhael laughed.
"Well, let's find ourselves a place to get some hard cider, then." Hocus smirked as he lead the way down the road. "Have you heard about the Black Ice's youngest? He just earned his name: Fortune."
"The colt is rich?" Mikhael began to walk beside Hocus as he remembered the ruckus over the boy entering the Everfree Forest.
"No, he's a prophet." Corrected Hocus Pocus as they turned. "Well, at least, that's what we're all assuming. His brother, Lore, says he exhibited all the signs from recorded prophets and Wild Rose has him in the Canterlot Tower right now to test his abilities."
"So he can see the future?" Mikhael knew this would be one thing the queen would want to know if she did not already.
"That's the gist of it." The stallion pointed to a bright yellow building with a sign shaped like an overflowing mug with a flowing script that read Salt & Suds. "We have very few prophets and the inner workings of their power is a mystery but the one's that have revealed themselves to us are not very talented as far as I've heard. Fortune, though, is said to show great promise."
"Poor boy," Mikhael said as he opened the door with a word. "he must be so nervous."
Salt & Suds was a roomy interior with chairs and table carved from the very same stone that made the walls, roof, and floor. Painted a pale blue with checked white, it sparkled clean and Mikhael found himself comfortable just standing inside the building. It was empty but for the centaur at the counter that smiled at them which he assumed was named either Salt or Suds.
"I bet. The future is a tricky thing, from what I know, and what I do know is that it's better for it to remain a mystery. The present is far too precious to waste in chasing down obscure paths in hopes of a better outcome. There's no joy in it."
"Still, it must be useful." Mused Mikhael as Hocus ordered them both a drink and passed the a gold bit as payment and wondered why they didn't call them simply coins.
Shrugging, Hocus lead them to a secluded table in the rear. 
Mikhael noted the brand on his new friend's flank and saw it was a a pale blue sword and shield where white sparks twinkled off. A warmage. He must only know how to use his magic to kill and protect himself from harm. He said to himself as he remembered that most unicorn magic was specialized even though they were capable of any magical feat.
"Did you hear the rumor?" Hocus asked as they sat on wide stone seats and Mikhael shook. "Princess Luna has been missing for the last two days." He took a long gulp from his foaming cup.
"Right after we arrived." Mikhael said in a tone that hinted he knew accusations were all aimed at the humans.
Thirsty himself, he took a sip, and sucked in his lips at the surprising taste. "That's some sweet cider."
"Yeap, straight from Sweet Apple Acres where most of our apples grow." Hocus smiled devilishly. "I know you humans like your fermented barley and old wines but I can't imagine how you drink it over any cider, hard or not."
"Oh, it's good." Mikhael took another sip and wondered where the alcohol was hiding in the deep apple overtone. "It took me by surprise."
"I suppose Equestria will be full of surprises for you during your stay." Another long gulp.
"I would not have it any other way." Agreed Mikhael as he let the taste of sweet apples wash over him.
"Don't drink too fast or you'll get some salt in your mouth." Hocus gave another mischievous grin.
"What?"
> The Naissant Peace
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Black Ice had agreed to name his youngest son Fortune after Lore had made slight jokes at the name Sybil which he assured his father was female and not male. Besides, Fortune had a nice ring to it and he was fortunate to be the son of a Great Horselord as well as his gift being great, according to Wild Rose.
As they had left the Everfree Forest, Belle Bloom had half the column riled up and a small army had placed itself in front of the forest and were about to charge blindly in to find Fortune but Lore had saved them the trouble.
Of course, Black Ice had scolded him but his mood brightened little by little as Lore and Fortune told the story and he kept a strong arm wrapped around his young son to assure himself everything was fine. Lore had to shoo away Cloud Runner who was adamant on making japes at how worried everyone got. The Pegasi hardly knew when to keep his mouth shut to a fault. 
Wild Rose, as expected, had taken a great interest in Fortune from then on and had given him the apartment next to hers at the Canterlot Palace and had since barely left the colt's side as they both poured over the Prophet's Wing in the Canterlot Tower.
Lore visited more often than he should but he did not like all the tests Wild Rose administered to Fortune who he knew was very stressed though his brother would never say it aloud in fear of disappointing everyone.
Lore had hardly ever touched the books of prophecy or paid much attention to the other four prophets that were known in Equestria, whose powers were minute, but now he wished he could have been the one to take Fortune under his tutelage instead of Wild Rose. The unicorn had amazing talent and knowledge but even Lore saw that prophecy wasn't exactly her field of expertise. No, Wild Rose was a master at magical constructs and transmutations but her rank and general power made her undeniable in her request to take Fortune under her care.
The last great prophet was known as Dark Eyes, an ominous name by its own right, who had taken the lives of dozens of children for having seen them commit unspeakable crimes in his visions, burned half the books of prophecy he declared as false without any approval, and had even orchestrated a minor war between multiple Runs to prevent a world ending birth, philosophy, and something about poisoned fruits.
He had been a unicorn and magically skilled without the gift of prophecy and Dark Eyes had fought fiercely to keep himself alive when all of Equestria turned on him after years of obedient respect. It was princess Luna's magic that had finally felled Dark Eyes and she brought his corpse to be buried in a crypt deep in the underground of Canterlot where no one would ever find his remains. Rumors have it that she had kept his eyes in her room though no one had ever seen them themselves.
Ever since, those born with the gift of prophecy became rarer than ever and their powers lacking compared to those from before Dark Eyes. They were said to occasionally be able to remember their dreams but rarely had any literal meaning to write down and they could not make sense of the old books of prophecy that were left by their predecessors.
"Wild Rose says that now I can have a job working in the tower with the other prophets." Fortune had exclaimed with glee; glad to finally feel more a man as they walked inside the castle toward their rooms. "They aren't very good, though." He added with a mumble. "They have a hard time reading all the books but I can make sense from most of them. Even the ones with only squiggles!"
Lore ruffled his little brother's hair and smiled, "But the dreams. I know Wild Rose has you sleeping more than usual."
"I can't force them in my dreams," He admitted with a shrug. "but when I really focus, I can sometimes see something. Wild Rose calls it a trance."
"She's an evil enchantress, she'll put you in trances..." Lore sang with a chuckle. "Just remember, Wild Rose is teaching you but she isn't ordering you. If you need to stop or don't want to do something that scares you, you tell her and if she has a problem with that she can just go complain to father."
"I know but she's really nice." Fortune said defensively. "She can be a bit intense but I'm learning a lot and I've already written a few things down though we are still unsure how real they are. Wild Rose says there are so many contradictory prophecies that the moment they are seen by a prophet they could be invalid or there are other prophecies who say that the one they had was invalid."
"Sounds like a lot of reading and research." Lore smiled, knowing how much he loved it and how little Fortune did.
"I miss running around with my friends," The young colt agreed. "but this is something special. Just for me. You'd like it, I bet."
"Probably but I like stories more than squinting at squiggles and strange words."
"We didn't find anything about the Whiteness or the snake statue in the Everfree Forest."
"I'm sure you will soon. That's what you're good at after all, right?" Lore winked.
"Yea!" Fortune nodded enthusiastically. 
"What is the Whiteness exactly?" Lore asked as they turned toward their own apartments at the palace as the sun was beginning to set.
"Wild Rose says she never heard of it and none of the other prophets had seen in their visions."  He said, a bit uneasy at the subject. "It's all white and there's nothing but at the same time, nothing is missing. I can move and talk in most of my visions but when I reach the Whiteness, I can't do anything except know it's there."
"What do you mean by reaching the Whiteness?" Lore asked as guards let them pass deeper into the palace.
"Well, whenever I dream of the Whiteness, I feel as if I had arrived there somehow. Like, a time and place where I knew it would happen but I don't know anything about it or how or why. It's strange. I usually do." He said sadly, and Lore guessed that his little brother felt a bit under for the task. 
"Don't worry. No one else knows about it, right? So, that makes it your own unique vision and one day, after you work hard, I'm sure it will all become clear to you. You can't expect to understand everything right away, can you?" He put an affectionate arm around his brother. 
"I guess so." Fortune gave a small smile as they reached his room.
"Well, get some rest, alright?" Lore hugged his brother as he opened the door for him.
"Alright," Fortune hugged back. "Night."
The door closed and Lore found himself finally alone and made his way back to the Canterlot Tower. He had some research to do.
No snake has claws, he told himself, or extremities for that matter.
Canterlot Tower was the one place in all of Equestria where every bit of knowledge was stored and every magical artifact was kept under lock and spellward for safety. Even Wild Rose did not have access to most of the tower and she was the head of all magic on Equestria after Princess Celestia and Luna.
The guards allowed him to pass with barely a glance, recognizing him easily, but the magical doors inside barred his way until he mumbled the passwords lazily.
"The truth of history has long leaked from the pages of leather bound books." The door swung open without any creak or rusty hinges screaming but the ward blocking the Aisle of Dark Beasts gave him trouble as he barely remembered the password Celestia had given him years ago.
"In all dark things lies a reason." He stated and made his way forward until he suddenly felt his skin burn with each step and he hastily retreated with a panicked start.
Many of the wards were harmless path blocking spells but this so happened to be one that would instantly tear a centaur to pieces from the inside if he should carelessly force his way through without the pass code. Lore swore at his own carelessness.
"All dark things lie within but none so dark as ourselves." He always wondered how much truth there was in the words for the passwords that Celestia herself had put in place. 
Canterlot was a place of peace and learning, where the good in everyone was taught and encouraged. It was strange for Celestia to pick passwords that were dark and even unsettling at times. Maybe, Canterlot was just a place where it was easier to believe in the good in people and the passwords were there for scholars such as himself to be reminded that not everything or everyone is such.
He took a careful step forward and this time he felt nothing impeding his path.
With a sigh, he began looking at the names on the leather bound books.
Poisons of the Fowl, Father of Trees, Cerberus, They Locked Away... The tomes were countless and he hardly knew where to begin. Not to mention they weren't properly ordered either though it made little difference in his blind search.
What he needed was a book about beasts that were rare and found only in the Everfree Forest but he found books from locking dark terrors in amulets to theories of burning the Everfree Forest which had long ago deemed wrong. The Everfree Forest could not catch fire or have an axe taken to it.
The night had become dawn in what felt a matter an hour for Lore and he felt his hooves drag on the floor which each step as he made his way back and forth down the aisles of subjects he knew did not contain any information on anything remotely related to his search.
"Cupcakes" He sighed, wondering how he managed to find himself in baking aisle. He was no longer sure whether he was still in the correct wing of the tower.
He resigned himself and walked back to the great double doors that lead him back to him own room where he could find rest from his fruitless night.
Utterly wasted my time. He fumed as he felt disappointment creep inside him. He had truly wanted to help his brother find some answers about what occurred in the Everfree Forest.
He walked by a lector and his eyes lazily scanned the pages as he moved but his heart had stopped.
Draconequus.
The bold font jumped at him and his exhaustion left him without a word.as his eyes began to devour the information in front of him as his heart started once more in a gallop.
The Draconequus are a serpentine like creature with features similar to that of a horse; notably mane and face with the rest scaled and filled with an exoskeleton.
A rare creature with very few ever recorded with even less information about their species recorded in any book or memory.
A sketch was drawn on the side of the page of a long, dragon-like, serpent with a flowing mane and fierce horse face. It was in the air as if by magic and gazing down at its own reflection in a pool of water.
A dangerous creature but friendly and calm when left well enough alone unlike the infamous Discord who seeks to toy with all lifeforms he finds until he was trapped in stone by Celestia and Luna thousand of years ago in the early years of the first Centaur.
Lore turned the page and saw it was about Equinox Beasts which he had nothing to do with the draconequus or Discord. He flipped the pages back and forth hoping he missed a page but his hopes were dashed with ever flip of the page. He held the book up and read the title Scary Truths of Equestria for Minors.
"A children's book..." He sighed and put the book down. "Stories to scare the children enough to fear the Everfree Forest without giving them any useful information on the monsters themselves."
There had to be more information in the tower about Discord but minutes of searching became hours of searching and neither bore fruit. He could not find any more information about draconequus or Discord anywhere.
"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!" A voice flew from the window and Lore turned to the sound. 
It couldn't have started already, could it?" He moved to the window and saw that the crowd had gathered and the two princesses were making their way toward the dais proceeded by the royal family of Iceland.
In his research, he had forgotten the signing of the peace was today and that he had been expected to stand by his father along with the other Great Horselords.
Growling, he took off at a trot and sped out of the Tower.
The Canterlot's Palace courtyard was a vast garden filled with colored roses and paved in golden tiles. The crowd made most of that impossible to see but Lore could see the top of the dais clearly and his father had spotted him with the corner of his eyes and he could feel the disapproval.
"Where were you?" Belle Bloom said in gritted teeth.
"I found the snake thing. It's a draconequus called Discord."	
Before Belle could say anything, the crowd began to silence before them and Lore saw that Princess Celestia had emerged from the large double doors of Canterlot Palace.
She was renowned for her kindness, power, and beauty across all of Equestria and perhaps even Iceland where the humans dwell. She was taller than most Stallions and from her head flowed hair of many hues reminiscing of a pale rainbow and sparkling lights could be seen hiding within. Her eyes were a deep violet that filled anyone who gazed at them with feelings of safety and motherly love.  Her breasts were bare and round as if she was still a young mare herself and her neck bore deep blue gems on golden chains. Her coat was as white as freshly fallen snow and her Mark was a golden blazing sun across her hindquarters. 
"Welcome to all," Celestia began as she centered herself on the dais. "every mare and stallion, colt and filly, human artisans, noble, and our honored royal allies." She smiled and spread her arms. "Today, is a day to rejoice and one we will all remember dearly in our hearts as the day we have finally put prejudice, fear, and hate aside and joined hands in creating two strong nations side by side."
Many humans began to clap and hooted cheers along with the centaur that clopped their hooves and shouted their own approval. Lore smiled at the sight and noticed a pleased expression on the human royals as well. He arched his head back to see Fortune behind his fathers flank as quite and timid as ever but holding himself straight and smiling in excitement.
"Where's Princess Luna?" Belle Bloom whispered discreetly at Lore and they both darted their eyes about the dais and palace grounds in an attempt to spot her. However, she was nowhere to be seen.
"We would like to thank the Royal Princesses of Equestria that have so amiably invited us here today to sign the peace treaty between our two great nations." The queen had begun her own speech when Lore had not paid attention. "For too long we had been a war, for even longer had we remained ignorant of each other. I fear to believe that if we had tried understanding one another hundreds of years ago than perhaps the fighting would have never occurred and our two lands would have been greater for it."
"Didn't they have two sons?" Murmured Black Ice on Lore's left and he nodded in agreement when he saw only the young Frederick standing alone without his older brother Logan. 
Wild Rose stepped out from the Great Horselords and made her way to give her own speech on behalf of all Equestria. Sky Runner had gladly given up his chance for the task as even he most likely realized he'd do nothing but stammer and blunder his words and Black Ice had always been short on words. However, Wild Rose, having lived near the royal palace all her life, was more than apt for the task of speaking to the people.
"What Queen Mary says is true, we had spent too long fighting between us."  She said, with a sad smile. "But today, we put it all behind us, and become friends. I speak for all of Equestria when I say we are glad to finally be able to join our Runs, or Flights, and even build our farms and mills without fear of being attacked or losing the harvest due to war. A shining future is now at hand where we live together as one, we love as one, and we share our knowledge together so both our nations may prosper."
Another clamor rose, and Wild Rose, smiling, waited patiently for it to die out.
"Princess Celestia, if you please?" She gave a bow of the head and Celestia made a parchment appear in mid air with quill and ink. "I hereby sign the peace treaty, from here on out known as the Trust of Spring, as Wild Rose, Great Horselord of the Unicorns, and as a friend to all human kind." Wild Rose enacted her own magic to move the quill across the treaty and signed her name.
Then went Sky Runner and who declared his signature as the Great Horselord of the Pegasi and friend to all humans followed by Black Ice as Great Horselord of Earth Centaurs and friend to all man kind.
"It brings me great pleasure to see this war come to an end." Announced the king as he moved forward and began to sign the treaty. "I sign this as King Logan, Rightful ruler of Iceland, and friend to all of Equestria." Lore could tell the words were not his own, most likely the Queen Mary's, but he did not doubt the king's good intentions. 
"At last," Celestia rolled up the treaty and held it high in the air for all to see, "Equestria and Iceland can join hands in love, trust, and peace for the rest of time. This treaty will be honorably displayed for all to see up close at the palace as we feast tonight in friendship."
A roar of applause spread throughout the crowd and the royal family shook hands, and even hugged the Great Horselords, in display of affection for all to see the true meaning of Trust of Spring. 
War had finally ended.
> The Murderer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Have you found him?" Sky Runner from his seat at the end of the table.
The room was the Great Horselord's personal quarters during his stay at the Canterlot Palace but quickly turned it into his meeting room the moment the boy had been found inside the Canterlot Tower.
The others at the table eyed Starlight with a curious look even though they already knew the answer.
"Lore is nowhere to be found in Canterlot, Marshal." He admitted, knowing his failure would displease Sky Runner greatly.
"Must I remind you what your Mark is for?" Sky Runner said with his lips barely moving.
Despite himself, Starlight looked at his flank. "I can find find my way to anything and anyone."
"Then what's the problem?" The Marshal was known to be a goof when it came to words or speeches but behind locked doors his men quickly learned that he was nothing but strong willed.
"There is no problem," Starlight looked back into the Marshal's stern eyes. "Lore simply left the city. Give me leave to go after him with a few men and I'll have him."
"Lore has almost half a day on you. You'd be stumbling in the dark." Sky Runner dismissed the plan.
"But, that's what I'm good at and -" Objected Starlight but halted when the Marshal rose his head with a snap. "My apologies." He looked down and backed away, meekly.
"So, if the boy is truly gone, then it's an admission of his own guilt." Declared Thunder Stone, a gray pegasi and the Scout Commander of Sky Runner's Flight.
"Agreed. The boy is guilty beyond a doubt now." Nodded Cloud Dancer, one of the fastest pegasi in Equestria and hand to the Marshal.
All eyes turned to Sky Runner as he pondered, his eyes glowing with the flames that he stared into at the other side of the room. 
"I say release the others, Black Hoof and his young, they have been seen all day and never once set foot inside the tower according to the guards and Wild Rose." Added Thunder Stone after a moment.
"No, they stay under guard for now." Disapproved Sky Runner. "They could accomplice to this or perhaps aided the young Lore leave the city before we caught him. Either way, it's treason."
"Will there be a trial?" Chimed someone Starlight didn't see.
"If it can't be helped." Grunted the Marshal. "The Princess and the humans have agreed that it would be best if this situation never left the palace. There would be rioting from both sides and then perhaps even war all over again."
"I thought you wanted the war to continue." Thunder Stone chimed up and the centaur seated next to him paled.
"I'd advise you to guard your tongue, Stone." The Marshal growled. "But do not tell me you think war would be a good thing if it started in the heart of our capital?"
"Of course not, Marshal." His eyes looked away and he pursed his lips. "As commanded, I've sent scouts far afield to look for Lore as well as to question every passing mare and stallion."
"And nothing?" The Marshal's gaze flashed at him.
"No, but they are under orders to not stop searching till they do find him."
"Very well." Sky Runner smacked his lips as if they left a bitter taste in his mouth. "What of the Royal Guard, Dancer?"
"They are appeased for now with you running the search, Marshal." Cloud Dancer shifted uncomfortably. "However, General Glint has already drafted his own men and paired them with the humans to lead his own search at a moments notice if we do not move fast enough."
"Glint," Sky Runner snarled the name out. "if he thinks he can one up me again, he's wrong. Starlight, find me that boy. I don't care what you have to do but find him, dead or alive, I don't care either but do it before that old fraud makes himself look like a hero."
"At once, Marshal." Starlight quickly exited the room with a sigh of relief. 
General Glint was an old centaur, named for the polished armor he wore as a young stallion when he ran off to join the army. Veteran of hundreds of battles and champion to many Runs, he quickly rose the ranks and was named General a dozen years ago after his victory on top of the Crystal Mountains where the humans had tried descending the slopes. Many said the General had only a few dozen men and defeated hundreds, if not thousands, of human invaders that day. The stories varied on how it all went down but all agreed that his information of the attack was more rumor than fact and he had been refused when he asked for a small force to scout the mountains. He went ahead anyway and found himself a hero at the end.
Sky Runner, already a Marshal back then, swore Glint had not in fact had the command of the expedition but his own son, Rain Chaser, had. The boy was indeed part of the men Glint allegedly led but presumed dead during the one of the avalanches. Sky Runner accused Glint of murdering Rain Chaser and since did everything he could to prove it or take over the Equestrian army just so he could discharge Glint out of spite.
Starlight made his way toward the apartments held by Black Hoof and his children and wondered if it was worth speaking himself to any of them. He was sure they all had been questioned and that nothing came of it, but without leave to go and scout past the city walls, he had to do something before he invoked the Marshal's ire once again.
"Let me pass, I'm here to question the prisoner." The two royal guards at the door parted to let him through.
The apartments were in disorder from the search but all their accommodations and richness remained and the prisoners had been unmolested. Sky Runner had known better than to offend the Great Horselord of Earth Centaurs and his children by throwing them in some dark cell. There was already enough enmity between the two of them without giving them any cause to really despite one another. If Black Hoof decided to no longer give food the Flights, then many would go hungry and fighting would surely break out between outlying Runs and Flights.
"Belle Bloom, I hope you're being well treated." He said as he made his way toward the green beauty. Far too young for him to ever hope courting but her long green mane and round freckled breasts had always left him with a stirring inside of him.
"Oh, Starlight, it's you." She approached and hugged him. "I haven't seen you in years."
"Has it really been that long?" He chuckled as he broke the embrace. "I wish this were better circumstances."
"Lore didn't it, I swear." She crossed her arms and stamped the ground, her warm voices turning harsh. "My brother is not a killer."
"I find it hard to believe as well." Admitted Starlight. "I last saw him a few years before I last saw you. A scrawny boy, kind, but nose always in some book or telling stories to the little ones. I would never have thought he'd be capable of such a thing but I suppose I've seen much harmless looking creatures do even worse."
"It wasn't him." She repeated as she made her way to her window. "How is my father and my little brother?"
"They are well, I assume." He shrugged. "They're all locked in their rooms as well as the Marshal closes the matter."
"But they had nothing to do with it." She argued. "Fortune was with Wild Rose the whole day and father was with the other Horselords preparing for the signing."
"We know all of this, my dear." Starlight took a seat at the small table in the center of the room and poured himself some cider. "Is it the sweet stuff, Belle?" He sipped before she could answer and grimaced.
"So how long must we be locked in our rooms?" She asked once more.
"My dear, please see it our way." He sighed and passed a hand over his weary jaw. "Lore was the only one to enter and leave Canterlot Tower all day, the guards agree on that and Wild Rose detected that wards that very few knew how to pass had been unlocked, ones that Lore was known to have access to, and the boy's body was found beyond them."
"Yes, but -"
"And Lore was late for the signing ceremony as well." Continued Starlight. "The reports state that the boy must have been killed sometime during that time and his body was found without any evidence of having been moved. Only Lore could have done it."
"Then how did Lore get young Logan into the tower without the guards knowing and why didn't he try hiding the body? Surely he would have known a patrolling guard would eventually notice and why didn't Lore run?"
"Lore did run." Pointed out Starlight.
"Yes but after the feast. I remember him drinking and getting drunk." She looked out the window. "My brother is many things but stupidity is not one of those things. No killer leaves a body behind, stays and gets roaring drunk and waits for the guards to put two and two together."
"So, you believe you're brother is being framed."
"Yes, that's why I hurried to his room and told him to run." She turned and looked at Starlight's surprised face.
"You're the one who helped him escape?" He rubbed his temple with his fingers. "I can't say I'm surprised but you certainly caught me off guard, dear."
"Now, arrest me and let my family go. They had nothing to do with it." She sat on the ground beside Starlight and pleaded. "It was me not them. I overheard what the guard's whispered to Celestia during the dinner and I slipped out before anyone could get to him. I got him to leave and came here and waited until an older stallion, Thunder Stone, told me I was under arrest and had his men rummage through my things."
"Where did Lore go?" He took her hand and held it lovingly. "Please, tell me before any of this gets worse than it already is."
"I don't know. I just told him to run." Tears were welling up in her eyes and she buried her face in his arm; her shoulders heaving softly as she sobbed. "I don't know where my brother is."
"There, there," He whispered as he passed a hand over her long green mane. "Everything will be alright, you'll see."
Starlight was glad Belle Bloom had told him she had been the one that got Lore out of Canterlot. If it had been Sky Runner or the royal guard, she could have easily been beheaded or perhaps exiled due to her high birth. King Logan would surely demand her beheading but with enough pleas to spare her, the Queen and Celestia would surely concede to sending the poor girl far away where she could be forgotten. He would not have forgotten, however.
"What's going to happen to me?" She finally asked, as her sobs slowly stopped. 
"Your family will be let go; though I do not doubt people will still whisper at their backs." He lifted her back to her feet. "But you committed treason, not only to Equestria, but to the royals as well. I'm afraid you will be punished harshly, my dear."
"I'm going to be executed, won't I?" Tears began welling up again and Starlight did the best to hush them away.
"I promise you, it won't come to that. You're the daughter of a Great Horselord and Queen Mary has shown herself to be kind and sympathetic and we all know how merciful Princess Celestia is; surely you'll be punished but I doubt it'll be your death."
"Then what? Prison for life? Banishment to the Everfree Forest?" She sniffled as she looked into his eyes, terrified and helpless and him her only beacon of safety.
"I'll do everything I can but I fear exile is the best you can hope for." She began to wail. "It won't be so bad. There are lands beyond the sea filled with people and centaurs and other races. You'll find yourself a new home, with friends and -"
"But my family!" She burrowed herself in his chest. "I've lost everything."
Starlight left Belle Bloom as the sun began to set and she had finally fallen asleep between her fits of tears that came and went in moments. 
To his surprise, Sky Runner had been waiting for him at the other end of the hall as still as if made of stone. He only showed signs of life when Starlight approached him.
"What did the girl say?" The admiral cleared his throat as Starlight approached.
"She admits to warning Lore to run but no more than that. She overheard the guards reporting to Celestia of the young Logan's murder and went out to help her brother. The other members had nothing to do with it."
"According to a traitor." Pointed out the admiral, his lips twisted in disgust.
"Traitor is a strong word for a young girl who only told her brother to run, admiral." Starlight didn't dare keep eye contact as he argued back, even politely, to Sky Runner. "Even so, I believe it would be best to release the others and keep her under guard until Princess Celestia gives a verdict. If we keep them locked up, Black Hoof's Run will have an outcry and if we give the human's no one to blame this on, they might begin mistrusting us even more than they do now. Remember, Princess Celestia is adamant about this peace and her future plans hinge on this peace to last."
"Hmm," Sky Runner smacked his lips, as he stared straight at Starlight. "I suppose, you're right. Good council as always." He sighed.
"I'm glad to have been of service, admiral." Starlight thumped a fist against his heart.
"Yes, you are quite valuable." The admiral gave him a squinting look as if it was his first time inspecting Starlight. "I'll have a small team of our stallions and the Royal Guard seek out this boy."
"Sir, I was hoping I could -" 
"No, no. There's no need for that. So long as the search continues, it gives both centaur and humans something to work together for. If anything, this might strengthen the peace in the long run."
"Yes, sir." Starlight was a bit surprised to hear that Sky Runner planned on supporting the peace despite his own desire for fighting. There had to be more to it.
"You, however, can be of more use elsewhere."  Sky Runner moved beside Starlight and pointed ahead so they both began moving down the hall. "I assume you know of Luna's sudden disappearance."
"So the rumors are true?" He had thought they were true but Luna was known to be reclusive and he had hoped she had been simply hiding in the palace all this time despite her absence at the signing and feast more than strange.
"I'm afraid so," Sky Runner nodded, "she had been missing for nearly a week now, a bit before we set out to meet the human royals at the Lord's Pass."
"And you wish me to find her?" Why else would Sky Runner be wanting telling me this?
"A man of your talent should have little problem. Speak with Dancer, he'll have a purse of bits and some supplies for you. You leave at once.
"Yes, sir." Starlight had been wishing for some rest but a life in the army gave little repose he found.
"Starlight," The admiral placed an arm on his shoulder, "don't come back without her."
Starlight blinked in surprise as the admiral left his side and continued down the way alone until he was out of sight.
If Celestia can't find her own sister, what chance do I have? Even with my uncanny talent at finding others... Why would the admiral want me gone should I fail? I'm the head of all the Flights, I lead them through darkness, rain, and fog. He can't wish to get rid of me, could he? He shook his made and his pale yellow mane whipped in the air. Such thoughts were of no use to him.
I promised I'd speak on Belle Bloom's behalf. At that thought, he had stepped atop of the grand staircase that lead from the entrance to the throne room and saw Thunder Stone smiling at him, a saddlebag loosely hanging from his back.
"Admiral filled you in?" He threw the bags at him. "Remember, don't come back without her." He laughed and Starlight could how pleased the man was with himself. 
What have I ever done to him? "Yes, I've been given my orders, Stone." He strapped the saddlebag across his own bag and wiggled to make sure it was nice and tight.  "Is the Princess inside? I was hoping to have a word with her."
"She's in the Queen Mary's chambers as far as I know. Comforting the poor thing. She lost a son, you know." He smiled devilishly. "What have you to say to our loving princess?"
"Matters for her ears only." He gritted his teeth. He could no go plead for Belle Bloom in front of the distressed queen. That would cause all sorts of issues on its own.
"Have it your way." Stone shrugged and moved off but not before calling out, "Don't come back, you here?"
Without the princess, you mean. Starlight did not fail to hear the threat in that.
The noon sun had already begun its decent, the entire night having been panic and fighting instead of the promised feasting and revelry. He had no excuse to stay any longer and he it tore at his heart.
"I'm so sorry Belle Bloom." He whispered as he begun his descent out of Canterlot Palace.