Of Ice and Empires

Daring Do stepped forward into the antechamber, her breath quick and heavy from her dash through the many corridors of this jungle temple.

She took to her wings as she crossed the chamber, its floor undoubtedly set to trigger a whole host of deadly traps. The soft beating of her wings the only sound in the massive room. Her movement was slow, her eyes watching for any wires that might have been strung around to prevent those gifted with flight from passing any further.

She was mere steps away from the exit when a voice boomed from behind, "Stop that mare!" Daring took one look back, a mob of rough looking ponies had formed at the entrance. Several rushed forth triggering the traps that she knew lay in wait. A large pillar collapse turned three of the aggressors into paste, another two fell screaming as arrows ripped through their flesh.

Daring quickly shut her eyes and flew towards the exit. She left behind pained screams and the sound of crumbling stone as she landed hard on the stone floor. She shook herself off, dust flying around her as she did. She felt a warm trickled on the end of her left hind leg. Knowing full well what it was she decided to kick her leg and try not to look back. The thought of other ponies being on her was rather uncomfortable for her, despite how often she dealt with it.

Once free of any remnants of her pursuers she continued her journey. This room was too ornate to have any traps, the builders wouldn't make a room like this unless it was meant to stay pristine. She took a step into the dark room before a loud foom came from her sides. Soft blue torches flared to life lighting up the entire room. With the room illuminated she could finally see her prize: a large well sat elevated on the far side of the hall.

She smiled as she walked down the hall, statues of earth ponies in strange armor began to grow more frequent and more ornate as they narrowed the gap to the well. She took a moment to look at one of the statues. She couldn't recognize it. It wore what looked like blankets made out of fur on its back, a strange helmet completely different than the royal guards sat on each and every one. There was also something brutish about their stance, not aggressive but they carried a heavy presence about them.

She felt very uneased in their presence, like a weight was being placed between her wings. It struck her as odd that the weight was so focused around her wings. Another look at the statues saw they were all either unicorn or earth, not a single pegasus could be found in the entire hall. She took a moment to try her wings. A single flap found them sluggish and unresponsive.

"What the?" She exclaimed, at her now lame wings, "How does-" She was cut off by a loud crack from the entrance.

She wasted no time in running to the well. Her hopes dashed as she found only water in the well. Not pools of gold coins or priceless gems, but water, a simple inch deep dish of water. She muttered a few swears before stamping a hoof in it. All this work for nothing, not a single thing to show for it save a red stain on her back leg.

Another loud crack broke the splashing of water. A large could of dust flew into the room, the torches flickering from the sudden gust. "Go! Go! Go!" Yelled the low voice from before.

In rushed several unicorns with swords levitated out and ready to strike. But, upon the entrance of a lone earth pony the pool beneath Daring lit up a bright white. Her hooves fell out from under her as she felt like she had fallen into a thick slime.

She tried to scream, managing a tiny yelp before her entire body had fallen into the pool. Her last vision: bright blue flame, was quickly being snuffed out as she sank into her unseen death. The slime enveloped her, fraying her mind and all but sealing her fate. Was this the end? Was this how she was meant to go?

*^**^*

A loud war horn sounded through the halls, shaking the temple to its very foundation. I stumbled as it rang out, almost knocking over a passing monk, "We're under attack!" The voice of the tribe leader rang out, "To arms! All to arms in the courtyard!"

Before I could think a rush of ponies ran past towards the temple entrance. I levitated an axe from my side and joined the rush. I met with over one hundred others in the courtyard, the tribe leader stood high on a dais on the wall to the outside, "They approach, steel thyselves and make ready! They come for not only our blood, but our home, our temple, our very way of life! We hold at all costs!" The crowd gave a quick roar, stomping their hooves and yelling out their battle cries. "Young one!" He pointed directly at me, "See to the well! Should we fall you will be our last line, will you hold!?"

My mouth went dry, "Aye sir!" I yelled as loud as I could, "With my life!"

He gave a wide grin, "Then to your stations!" He quickly ran off, his cloak billowing as he turned. Within seconds there was an insanely loud scream from just outside the wall. A pegasus flew overhead, dropping the flailing body of one of the guards from her lance. The guard hit the snow with a meaty thud. The lance had torn a large hole through his insides, .the poor bastard was done for.

"They come again!" A shout came from the crowd, "Duck!" Another yelled to me. I managed to turn around, seeing the same pegasus barreling towards me, lance down and aimed at my heart. In a brief moment of panic I froze, sure of my imminent death my mind flashed to my home, my family, my friends. I would join them soon.

I could see the eyes of my killer glowing bright gold, she was hauntingly beautiful. Mere seconds later a small axe was imbedded in her side, tearing free the lance and severing part of her wing. The lance impaled itself in the soft mud, the pegasus crashing and sliding mere inches from my hooves. I took a reflexive step back before looking the pegasus over.

She was young, almost as young as myself. Her mane a soft gold, her coat a simple white, now stained with a dark crimson. She tried to stand, only to have a large stallion bring his hoof down on her back, followed by a ruthless chop with a large axe.

With the assailants head nearly severed from the blow he turned to me, "You were told to guard the temple! GO!" He swung the bloodied axe towards me, showering me in blood.

In a moment of fear I ran in towards the center of the temple. My legs burned as I passed the zealots and monks running to their posts, this was bad. The zealots are only unleashed when the temple is thought to be in true danger. With them at the call I realized why they sent me to the center...I was to die last.

My heart sank as I realized it. My steps slowed as I reached antechamber. I was going to die, for what good? That those heartless pegasai bastards can take another of our holy sites?! The same pegasai that claimed to be bringing order, the same pegasai that brought these years of ice?! They would never be content until the whole world fell under their banner.

I felt my blood boil as I sulkily made my way to the center, to the temple wellspring. My thoughts were torn apart by the sight of an oddly dressed pegasus crawling from the wellspring. My mind quickly flew through the past few minutes, the way that mare had killed the guard, the way she turned to me without hesitation, the way the stallion had cut her neck nearly in two.

I clenched my teeth as I levitated an axe out of my bag and charged towards the mare, "Monster!" I yelled, closing the gap, "Die for your heresy!"

The mare was coughing up water and quickly tumbled down the steps of the wellspring's rise. I stopped my charge for a moment, the mare was no threat. That much was obvious given her watery cough and dazed appearence. Her dress was also the likes of which I had never seen, not any sort of armor or furs, just a simple covering that seemed to serve no purpose save style.

She was sputtering and coughing heavily. My mind shifted back to what she was, a pegasus, an oppressor!

I raised my axe over her neck, I grimaced as I prepared to drop it. But I couldn't. Just as I had convinced myself of her earned demise she met my eyes with her own. A hard purple stare burned me, I closed my eyes, unable to face her. "I'm sorry...." I raised my axe a final time.

"Wait!" She yelled perking her head towards mine, "Please wait!"

My conviction once again wavered, "I can't!" I tried to swing across her neck, my magic stalling and holding it in place, "I...I don't want to kill." I cringed at my own inability, this day truly was going to be my death. I felt my eyes start to tear up, "I- I don't want to die!" I raised my axe again, "I-" I couldn't see, my eyes a bleary haze from the tears.

I was caught off guard by a warmth pressed against my front and a weight pulling across the back of my neck. I felt my magic fizzle, my axe clattering against the ground. My eyes cleared just long enough to see the mare pressed against me, her onyx mane brushing against my face. I felt a deep surge of sadness, "I-" I felt myself crumble, burying my face into the intruders mane, "I can't." I wrapped my left foreleg around her, leaning in to balance out the forces, "I don't want to die...but I don't want to kill either! I'm scared...mother I'm scared!"

As I deteriorated into a sobbing mess the mare was pushing harder against me. Her mane covering more of my face as I nestled deeper into it. Soon she would take my fallen axe and drive it into my side, or draw some hidden knife and cut my throat clean open, and all I could do is cry.

"You're just a colt..." She whispered past my ears, "Why are you afraid to die?"

I was horridly confused at her apparent worry, she was here to kill me, to take this place for their empire. Why was-

My thoughts were interrupted as she started nuzzling my neck and rocking our bodies slightly back and forth, "Why is a colt in this dangerous place anyways?"

"They told me, to- to keep it safe. But I- I failed!" And then I realized something, she crawled from the wellspring. She hadn't used the door. She wasn't one of them. "You!" I tried to pull away, "Who are you!?" I struggled to get away, pressing my hooves against her, trying to gain my freedom. She answered by pulling me even tighter, slowing her rocking motion and leaning her head harder into my neck.

"It's okay...you're safe now. Daring Do is here." She cooed, slowly easing her grip, "I know the way out,"

Way out? "You...the way out," I finally broke away, taking a few steps back before cocking a hoof up, "who are you!?" I managed to grab an axe and reel it back, ready to throw. "Answer me," She shook her head dismissively and slowly started walking towards me, "Stay back!" I yelled, taking a step back and readying my axe.

"My name is Daring Do, now, how about you tell me why you're-" She was cut off by another blast from the temple horn. A loud drawn out tone followed by two shorter flares. Safe...safe! They had done it! "What the hay was that?"

Before I could answer a large group of hooded unicorns slowly walked in, many coated in blood. They paid us little heed as they walked to the wellspring. The first took his place, stopping as his hoof touched the water. The entire room quickly turned to myself and the mare at the base of the steps. The entire room focused on us, several of the zealots closing in and forming a circle around us.

The zealots' leader stepped through the crowd, ponies bowing as he passed. I was quickly overwhelmed by his presence, turning to him and lowering my entire body to the ground. Unsure of their hesitance to kill the mare I gestured for her to join me. She took a few moments to stare at the leader before bowing, her rump still high until forced down by a zealot's magic.

Their leader stepped forward, his eyes finally visible. The bright silver glowing from his hood tore my defenses to shreds. While the zealots were bound mute, they would often posses a speaker to tell their whim, and for a few moments I feared they would choose me. My fears were eased as a monk was brought into the room, quickly glowing a bright silver and tensing up.

The monk started to convulse as the zealot used him as a proxy voice, "Befouled," the zealots stomped their hooves, "you must fix this." The leader turned to the pegasus, "We know not who you are, but we know whence you came. To see you home you must fix this," The zealots stomped their hooves in unison once again.

The pegasus tried to right herself, "No big deal-" she was forced back down by anther spark of silver magic, "-what ever is wrong, I can fix it!"

The leader gave a humorless snort, "Together!" The zealots stomped their hooves over and over, threatening to crack the ground, "Skane!" The monk boomed at me, "You have failed to hold the temple," I crumpled under his gaze, curling up and accepting my fate, "As such you are to take charge of your blunder, and repair the wellspring." My ears perked up, before the rest of my head joined them, "This mare is to serve as a ward, keep her safe." A zealot tossed some furs on the ground at the leaders feet, "Hide her well, tell her of our ways, and when ready: seek Master Cobalt."

"Yes master!" I yelled, lowering my head back down to the floor. After a long pause I looked up, there was a long walk the zealots had cleared. Understanding their intentions I quickly piled the furs over the mares wings and walked her out towards the exit of the wellspring.

"Kid wait," The mare shouted, pulling me back from the exit, "You gotta be-" I wrenched myself free.

"Do not touch me, follow close and don't stray it could mean your death!"

I took a step into the antechamber, "Wait there are traps," I started walking on unsure of her hesitance, "...but, there were-"

"Traps? I believe I would know if there were traps in my own home," I turned to face the mare, in a moment of paranoia I levitated her hat off and jammed it in my bags. I also readjusted the furs to cover her entire body, "The zealots chose not to kill you, but others will not be so kind, nor as hesitant as myself!"

I started back towards my quarters with the mare in tow, "So, no traps. That doesn't explain these," She shook her body to jostle the furs, "You do realize...whoa." Her voice was lost to her as we entered the courtyard, the cold nipping at my skin and the smell of blood hanging heavy in the air. "But this place was- this was all jungle just a few minutes ago."

I pulled her along as several guards came to tend to the dead, "Maybe at one time, but since...your people...decided to close off the sky the entire land has been a frozen waste, it has been this way for nigh my entire life."

We entered the temple once more, I took to a short sprint while ponies surged in and out of the halls, "This way!" I took a hard right down a narrow corridor and crashed into the door to my quarters. It swung open under my charge, the mare leisurely strolled in, completely oblivious to the need for haste.

"Huh...neat."

Her offhand comment stirred up something inside of me, "Neat? Neat!? You think this is neat!?" I stomped over to her, "You think what just happened was neat!? How many lay dead outside, how many of my people are dead, how many-"

I was entirely cut off by the sudden soft texture pressed against my lips. It was fleeting, lasting only a moment, "Adorable, but you're still just a colt." I became exceedingly flustered, sputtering half words and muttering swears. My cheeks and ears set ablaze by the sudden contact. "Aw, see that's cute." she cooed, only serving to come across as mocking.

I wiped my face with my foreleg, trying to banish the burning sensation, "Perhaps you don't quite understand the gravity of your situation, you-" Once again I was cut off by another peck on the lips, "Ach- you!" my words failed me.

"Good to know that's all I have to do to shut you up." She laughed, "It really is adorable ya know."

"I am not a foal!" I yelled, stomping my hooves in a small fit.

"Really? Cause you look like a filly." My anger boiled over, in a moment of spite I took her hat out of my bag, "Oh hey!" She was about to reach for it when I gouged out the center with the back of an axe, "Hey! You little shit!" She rammed into me, sending the axe and hat flying across the room. We entered a short wrestling match, ending the the mare's hoof planted firmly on my stomach.

"You have no-" I wiggled under her weight, "-idea the atrocities just committed!"

"I know, look at what you did to my hat!"

"Hat!? You- how many lay dead in the courtyard!? How many beyond the walls!? You have no idea what I'm talking about do you!?"

She shrugged, "All I know is a couple of ponies tried to follow me in here, and now they're gone. Granted there was no snow bef-" Something caught her eye, she quickly left her dominant position and trotted about my room, "What the hay...how do you have this!?" She held a large gold pendant out in her hoof, "These...these are ancient!"

"Ancient?" I rolled on my belly and stood, "Hardly, I was given that no more than-"

She dropped the pendant and ran over to me, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me hard, "What year is it!?"

"Let me go," I threw her off, "Sixteen after frost fall. Is this not common knowledge!?"

"After frost fall? What's that after fall of Luna?"

"What is a Luna, and how did it fall?" Her eyes shot wide at my question, she let her hooves fall back to earth, "Really...what is a Luna?"

"Oh dear Celestia...."

"And what in the name of the trinity is a Celestia!? Stop making things up!"

*^**^*

I had spent the last hour trying to explain what was going on, "I told you, they closed the sky." I groaned, knocking a hoof against my horn, "What about that is so hard to understand?"

"I get that part," Daring rolled around on my bed, either enjoying the feel of furs or simply trying to get under my skin, "What I don't get is why." She rolled onto her stomach and stared at me, "I get the empire part, I get the sky thing, I just don't get the why."

"The why? We refused to bow to them! They offered us vassalage, a place under them, but we refused. We held our independence and thus they took the sky from us!"

She cocked an eyebrow, "Well...maybe I should join em, after what you did to my hat."

"Your joke isn't funny...you do realize we are at war with them correct? A war that has claimed the lives of thousands."

She gave me an annoyed look, "You're really sullen for a colt."

"I am not a colt!" I snapped, "I am stallion enough for your people to kill without hesitation!"

"Again, not my people. Calling all pegasus alike is racist."

I was absolutely flummoxed, "How are you so cavalier!? Did you not see the bodies!?"

She stepped down from my bed, standing chest to chest with me. Despite my being taller she managed to stand over me with the use of her wings, "My name is Daring Do, world famous adventurer. If I let a few bodies scare my I'd have to turn in that title and hang up my hat..." her eyes popped open as she said hat. I grew a devious smile, "...you owe me a hat by the way."

"I owe you nothing! If anything you ow-" She leaned her head down pecking the top of my muzzle, my words fizzling in my mouth again, the tips of my ears burning wildly again.

"Dear Celestia you're easy to disarm." She gave a quick laugh before rustling my mane, "And you said you weren't a colt."

I could feel my ears twitch, "I will end you!" I levitated and axe out and hurled it into my bedside table. "Raugh!" I huffed, as my coat bristled from rage.

"Whoa...you alright there?" Daring asked, landing herself next to me, "I was only-"

"Don't talk to me." I stated coldly, retrieving my axe from the now ruined table, "There...you made me ruin a table and I ruined your hat. Even."

"How did I make you-"

"Even." She grew a devious smile that was a tad more feminine than mine, "Do it and I will shred your barding next."

"Oooh does little...what's your name?"

"Skane!" I yelled striking a strong pose.

"Does little Skane want to see me naked~" I felt a twinge of excitement run through me base followed by yet another flustered surge of annoyance. She just laughed, "You realizing I'm just messing with you right? No offense but I'm not into colts...they tend to be...clumsy."

In another fit of rage I walked over to the now split table. I drew an axe and began chopping it into wood chips, "Stupid! Arrogant! Annoying!" Once it was reduced to sawdust I started stomping it with my hooves, "You make me so mad!"

"And did I mention aggressive?" I wheeled around and stared her down, "See, also let me see that." She took my axe in her mouth and hovered out of my reach. She laid it in her hooves and started examining it, "I could get so many bits for this."

"What is a bit?" I asked shifting my bags. I kept two axes in each side along with other essentials, her keeping my axe away meant I was leaning slightly to the left.

"A bit...you know...money." She slowly hovered back down and gave my axe back. "So you really don't know who Celestia is?"

"Sounds like a fairytale."

"She's a princess." Daring knocked into me with her flank before giving a short gasp, "Ow ow ow!" She jumped away, "What the hay!?"

I turned to face her, a small cut had come across on her flank, "Oh dear." I looked down at my bag, a small silver streak had cut through a patch on my bag. I gave a long sigh, "Stay here, I shall fetch some bandaged."

"Dear Luna those things are sharp!" I had to smile at that, for all her teasing and agitation I had the final laugh.

*^**^*

"I have retur- my blankets!" Daring had held my pristine white furs against her bloody cut, "I have to sleep in that you know!"

"Well then you should be more careful with those things!" She let the furs fall, now stained with blood. I felt a deep frown grow on my face at their loss. "Hurry hurry hurry! I might be an adventurer but this still bucking hurts!"

I rolled my eyes and quickly levitated the clothe around the tear in her skin, "This may sting."

"Ah!" She screamed, causing me to flinch back, "Heh...gottcha." I angrily bound her flank tightly with the bandages, "Ach hey! Don't you know you should never roughhouse a mare's flank!? Are you even a doctor!?"

"I am an apostle...we learn all practical skills. fighting, healing, speaking-"

"Obviously not how to touch a mare..."

"Oh quite you...I have tended to many mares!"

"Have you now?" She asked with a lascivious tone, "Anyways...I have an actual question!"

I finished with the binding and met her face to face, "And that would be?"

"Who were the the hooded ponies?"

"Ah...the zealots...they- they act as protectors of the temples. There are four sects, one for each temple."

"Four...wait there are more of these?!"

"Four, as I said. One for each race, two are held in the earth pony tribes land, the other are held by the empire."

"Again...don't know what the tribes are."

"Your ignorance is astounding...the tribes are a loose collective of free nations. While not technically part of it the zealots and monks serve whoever holds the land. I...my situation is rather unique...I was meant to become a zealot."

"You? No offense kid but you're kinda...well...you're...you don't strike me as a dark mysterious type."

I shook my head, "I am the son of two pure unicorns...it's what separates the usual monks from the zealots. The monks are just attendants and keepers of the temples. The zealots are the protectors, and thus pure blooded unicorns are asked to take the vow. What you did not see is..." I felt a lump grow in my throat, "...pyromancy."

She scoffed, "Pyromancy?"

"If you have not seen it hold your tongue! Nothing is more frightful than the smell of incinerated pony flesh...but it is also the reason I am but an apostle instead of a zealot...I- training...I hurt someone, they." I took a step back and lowered my head, "I lost control. They sent me to the monks because of it."

"Oh, were they-"

"They died." I said dryly.

"Oh...hug?" She stuck a foreleg out.

"I'm not a- ...yes." I levitated my bags onto my bed to avoid another cut and stepped forward. I wrapped my foreleg around her, nuzzling into her mane, "I will say...for a contemptuous shrew there is something comforting about you."

"And for an uptight would be stallion you're still pretty cute." She gave a tight squeeze before letting up, "Better?"

"A little," I gave a deep sigh, "I must be honest, I am still rather nervous. What the zealots said...we'll be leaving soon."

"What do you mean?"

"If...you don't even know the grandmaster. If were being sent to her that means we are going outside the temple. That means I'll be leaving all this behind." I grew quiet, the true depth of those words had sunk in all at once.

"Leaving behind a bed and a busted table? Come on, they said I had to go with you, it'll be fun!" She walked to my left, bumping me with her uninjured flank, "Are you saying you don't want to hang out with the world renowned Daring Do?"

I stepped away from her, trying to put on as annoyed a look as possible, "So renowned that I have never even heard you name. Perhaps notorious is the better word."

She froze, for once I had managed to fluster her. "Yeah well, that's beacuse you're...old! Not like age old but...wait...yeah age old. I have to be honest," She put a hoof on her chest, "I've been stabbed, burnt, nearly crushed, and almost tortured by these kinds of things, but time travel is a first."

"Are you insinuating you traveled back in time..."

"You don't even know who Celestia is...and this is obviously the same place as I started. Same rooms, same look, same feel even...although it's a bit colder than before."

"Sixteen years of solid snow and ice will tend to be cold, though from what I was told this place was rather lush before the sky closed up." My mind shot back to a painting the monks had shown me once. A painting of deep blue skies, lush green foliage, and a strange brightness to the entire scene.

"Ya know, this is actually kinda cool. Never thought I could talk with the people that lived in the places I raided."

"Raided!?" I snapped, nearly slashing her cheek as I swung around my horn, "You raided our temple!? Is that why you're here!?"

"...Maybe raided was a bad word, think of it as, bad ponies were trying to steal from you, so I came to steal it first." I only grew more agitated, "Hey look, it was either them taking it to some auction house, or me taking it to a museum, so calm down...I'm respectful!"

"Apparently not! The wellspring is not meant to act as a portal or door of any sort...if you used it as such it is no wonder its power has waned."

"It's not like I wanted to! I was just standing in it and-"

"Why in the world would you stand in it!?" I yelled pressing my forehead against hers. We quickly entered a shoving match, each of us pushing with all our weight.

"Because- I was expecting treasure, and what did I get? Water! At least until...hey wait." She pulled back, sending my stumbling forward from the sudden loss of equal force, "It happened when...this stuff is unicorn magic right?"

"No," I shook my neck out, "This temple is of the earth ponies, the unicorn temple is to the south."

"Oh...that would explain it. Anyways, I love talking about ancient-" I grumbled, "...I love talking about temples and all but," Daring let out a long yawn as she spoke, "Today has been kinda long, I'm gonna hit the sack." She flew up before letting herself fall onto my bed, pulling a few blankets over her, she claimed the entire surface as her own.

"Hey no! No!" I levitated my blankets free, "You're blood stained and I will not have you taking my last night in my bed away from me!"

She stood, lunging at me and vying for my blankets, "You're bloody too, now gimme those! Too damn cold in here."

I jumped back, "I'm not-" A quick look down reminded me of the mare from the courtyard. Her blood was striped across my white coat, painting my chest and neck a grim scarlet. I scowled at the sight, I had all but forgot about the sight. My would be killer was beautiful, even after her head was severed her eyes hung open, twin golden orbs holding on to the final bits of life as she faded away.

"Kid...you alright?" I felt Daring shake me. I shot upright, her face conveying a strange mix of emotions, most notable of all: concern, "You look a little...sick."

"I'm fine," I bit back a shout, settling on a slight verbal hiccup, "Here..." I levitated the blankets back to her, "Enjoy them."

She returned me gesture by slowly walking back to the bed, "We...I mean, if you...if you can control yourself, you know, not throwing another axe around the room...we could share. I mean it is technically your bed...."

I weighed my options. Reluctantly I approached the bed and hopped up next to her, "Don't take this as a concession nor acceptance...." She gave me a sly smile in return, "It is merely rather dangerous to sleep on the floor...I would rather not wind up losing my legs to frost because of petty-"

She bit at my ear, stopping an inch away from the soft tissue. The loud clack of her teeth making my breath catch in my throat, "Just don't make it weird," She quickly flopped on her side, wrapping herself in a thick beige fur.

"I truly do not understand your obsession with provoking me in such a licentious manner-" She rolled her back to me.

"Because it's fun, and I don't need to worry about leading you on. Like I said, I'm not into colts." I grumbled angrily, settling on wrapping myself in a heavy fur and pressing our backs together, "Getting a little fres-"

"Enough! Cease your obnoxious prattling and lay still. The night is bitter cold without layers, so consider yourself no more than a source of warmth."

I felt her roll again, she quickly pressed her folded legs against my back, "Oh lighten up, it's not the first time I've had to do this. Remind me to tell you about the crystal empire." She pressed her body against mine, a soft warmth seeping through the layers of fur and into my back. In turn I could feel her her nestling my mane, her muzzle ice cold on my neck. I bared it and let my neck warm her muzzle, "Skane..."

"Aye?"

"What are these?" She shifted in the furs.

"White stag. A gift from the monks upon my arrival."

"Oh...so these...hmm...so...these are real."

"Aye...why do you ask?"

"Just not used to the idea of wearing living creatures...well...dead now but...you know."

"Oh is the boisterous Daring uncomfortable with such a simple act?" I laughed, "Renown most unearn-ah~"

She blew a soft stream of air past my chin, "Go to sleep." She threw a hoof over my chest and pulled me close, "I don't think I'll ever be able to take you serious...Celestia you're warm..."

"A-aye...."

"Oh calm down kid," she pulled me tighter still, "We just met, and when we met you started crying. Now just,"- She laid her head across the side of mine, -"Relax."

I felt my breathing slow, partially due to an overwhelming sense of safety not felt since my mother lived, and from my slowly fading consciousness. "Daring?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm nervous...but...I think," I took a deep breathe to steady myself, "I think I'm ready for it."

"Go to sleep kid, you're showing me around this place in the morning so get some rest."

"Aye...apologies." I muttered my last. Sleep came slowly, my brain receiving too many singles from the mare against me. It did not help that while she was pressed against my back my brain was trying to unearth what the monks or zealots had in store for me. What grand adventure awaited, what perils would I face, what.... My mind wandered on.