The Nation of Snow and Ice: Pilgrimage

Abeni

        Abeni looked down at the massive wall reaching towards the heavens. In reality, they weren’t that big, a monk could have easily grappled up the walls with a long enough rope and a good enough toss. The stone walls weren’t even defended very well to Abeni’s knowledge. Abeni counted only a three ponies standing around with bows and arrows or crossbows along the wall, plenty of space for more than a hundred archers just to patrol and thousands to defend from a full scale attack. Whatever they were using to defend the great wall was obviously not enough to keep out invaders though.

From what she could tell, another two or three hours and Abeni was right at the main gate for the city. The hills leading to the city were covered with snow and giant conifers jutting out of the ground like daggers. The sun had managed to peek over the sparse conifers but was covered briefly by the passing clouds looming overhead, periodically shining down on the zebra. When the sun managed to break through, Abeni desperately wanted it to go away, her robes providing enough warmth for her. But when the clouds covered the sky, the cold quickly crept back and Abeni desperately wished for the sun to come back.

Before the main gate—or what she assumed to be the main gate—was a town similar to that which the Hazelnut Inn was located. It was barely visible and Abeni could barely make it out, but she knew it was there. Abeni thought she would stay in the local tavern or another inn if there was one before actually going into the city. Granted she would actually be let in. If she was denied access then her next stop was to the next Shrine of Obrean.

But Abeni needed to focus on the situation at hand and that was actually getting to the town below.

She looked up at the spires in the center of the city, each one rising and scraping against the heavens. A grand and decorative piece of architecture, but Abeni wondered how it would fair if the city were to be sacked. Abeni hoped that invaders would have the decency to leave the spires standing instead of tear them down. Knowing the barbarians, the tower would be no more when they were through with it.

“I heard House Glow was supposed to be making an appearance before Princess Violet View soon,” One of the caravaneers mentioned. He was a silver colt. almost a full grown stallion, a very confident expression on his face and very quick movements. Abeni almost mistook him for a pegasus with his speed, and if she had been paying attention his name was something along the lines of ‘Cloud’ something or ‘Sky’.“Lord Glow’s really pushing for some popularity for his House.”

“Of course he is!” A green mare said. “If I had the riches like that man, I’d want to be known and earn a spot in The Council.”

Abeni looked back at the two ponies exchanging their opinions of some lord of a rising house. Abeni wondered how the ponies of Arcadia were able to keep track of all the news that travelled around. Or how they heard of such things in such a small amount of time. How did news travel as fast as it did? Was there a pony who teleported and was tasked with spreading recent events? Abeni imagined a unicorn teleporting from town to town, only to say a few words and order the ponies around to spread said words only to leave to another town and repeat the process.

Abeni noted the young filly staring at her in the wagon being pulled by the caravan leader. Her eyes and purple mane sparkled from the snow drops and she looked at Abeni with curious eyes. She smiled and turned away, whispering something to the other filly riding beside her, but out of Abeni’s sight. The other filly popped up beside the grey one, her blue coat completely dry, despite the continuous snowfall.

“Why do you have stripes?” the blue filly asked, hiding behind her friend as though her question were offensive.

“Moonlight!” the green mare snapped. She looked at Abeni. “I apologize for my daughter if she has offended you.”

Abeni waved a hoof at her. “It’s okay, I am not offended,” she turned her gaze to the filly. “I was born with these stripes. As was the rest of my family.”

“Do they signify anything?” the grey filly asked as soon as Abeni finished speaking.

“For my culture? No, they do not. To other zebra tribes, the stripes can mean anything.”

The two fillies looked at each other with a mix of fascination and confusion. Abeni smiled at that, watching as the sisters thought of more questions to ask her.

“I’m sure you don’t get much snow where you come from,” the silver colt remarked, noticing Abeni’s shivers and deep breaths, watching the mist leave her mouth.

Abeni’s ears perked up. “Quite the contrary actually.” She looked back at the colt, who tilted his head. “My monastery is located on Granite Blade Mountain. Amazingly, the mountains aren’t as cold as this part of Arcadia. The mountains have a more comfortable chill to them.”

“A mona-what?” Moonlight scratched her head.

Abeni paused for a moment. “An abbey.”

Moonlight shrugged and shook her head.

“A friary?” Abeni tried.

Again, she shook her head.

“A....lamasery?”

Moonlight shook her head yet again.

“A.....” Abeni was at a loss for words. She looked at the other ponies, but they looked just as confused as Moonlight. “A...Ah! A religious house.”

“Oh,” Moonlight nodded, though Abeni was sure she was still having trouble grasping what it was she was talking about. Abeni just smiled and shook her head. Children were always excited to take in new things, but when it came down to it, but they never understood completely until they grew up and were taught the same thing again, but in greater detail. At least, that’s what Abeni learned.

“Mom?” Moonlight whispered. Abeni was just barely able to hear her. “Can I be a monk like her when I grow up?”

“I....will think about that.”

The town, named Glasshill, wasn’t as quiet as Abeni had expected it to be. Ponies were all over the place, mostly soldiers carrying supplies to and from different buildings, even some of the townsfolk taking the time to assist. The ponies were all preparing for something, obviously not an attack or all the townsfolk would be crammed inside the city already.

When Abeni and the family’s caravan arrived, they were ushered through and relocated by a young soldier to the marketplace and told the not to get in the way of official business. Obviously, he was just ordered by his superiors to make their jobs easier and keep travelers from blocking the way of everyone, so he thought he’d just cram everyone in the marketplace. Unfortunately, the marketplace was just as crammed as the streets full of soldiers and they had to move their supplies through the marketplace just to get to another section of town, as the markets was the only apparent shortcut.

Soldiers cut through the crowd of civilians who decided not to help, trying to get them out of the way so they could get on with their business. Abeni was given various glares and gawks from the guards occasionally, driving her to the point of incessant paranoia. Everywhere she looked, someone was staring right back at her, and she occasionally felt herself grip the dagger under her robes, strapped to her upper left leg.

Ponies complained to the passing soldiers of the lack of space only to receive the same response.

“We need you all to stay out of the way.”

Coming from a pony who was cutting through a crowded market trying to move supplies for whatever reason. Abeni wanted to hit the soldiers who said the same thing over and over. She wondered why nobody had been relocated after the fortieth time of hearing the same ‘stay out of the way’ message, but Abeni held her tongue and decided not to say anything, thinking the guards and soldiers would be finished soon and all the ponies would be able to leave and return to their normal business.

After an eternity of standing around like a whore waiting to be used, Abeni and the caravan wandered from the markets, the claustrophobia becoming too much for any of them to take. They didn’t fear getting punished by the ponies in charge for ‘obstructing military duties’, as the recruit who led them to the market put it. As Beni guessed it, nothing happened to them. The ponies around them didn’t follow as they left, but the guards didn’t do anything either.

With the help of the caravan, Abeni was able to find the inn and, despite her best efforts to convince them otherwise, pay for her room. Before departing from the caravan, Moonlight looked up at Abeni with fascination and sullen eyes. It was almost like she was going to grip on to her and beg to bring Abeni with them.

“Bye bye, Ab...Abe-”

“Abeni,” the zebra finished for her.

“Thank you for coming along with us, Monk.” Evergreen, Moonlight’s mother, said, bowing her head.

“Thank you for allowing me to travel with you,” Abeni smiled, She reached into her saddle bag, digging around until she found a small enough object for the filly to cling to. She was just a bit disappointed when the object she pulled out happened to be a small sling she never knew she had. She handed it to Moonlight, who looked at it like she had been given a gift from Obrean himself. She hugged it close and took the pouch full of pellets from Abeni with admiration all over her face.

“Thank you Abeni!” She beamed with excitement. “I will treasure it forever!”

“I trust you will not lose it?” Abeni asked with a smirk.

“Never!” the filly said, clutching it closer to her chest.

Abeni smiled at the filly and her family, seeing them off from the inn, watching Moonlight waving her tiny hoof at Abeni before disappearing in the crowd.

That was close to three hours ago. Now, Abeni was sitting beside the bar, staying in the shadows of the inn, watching the stallions getting drunk and internally hoping for a good fight to break out between to drunkards, but her hopes were always dashed when someone broke up an impending fight. When a unique character didn’t walk in or claim they were the best fighter in all of Arcadia, Abeni took to the burning fire in the center of the room for a distraction. The pit burned endlessly, stew boiling over it and other meats being cooked over it, mainly for the few griffons in the inn.

The stone ground and walls were home to many shadows, dancing and making different forms that didn’t look like the ponies and griffons they belonged to. Instead they took on shapes of monsters and dark blobs dancing across the walls.

Incoherent babbles of drunkards and the laughter of fools filled Abeni’s ears. The shadows of the inn’s tavern still moving around as if they were without physical bodies. She kept watching them, dancing around the walls, but she felt as though there was something wrong with them. Of course though, it was just her hyperactive imagination. Her growing paranoia from the days before in the Arcadian wilderness. She knew those barbarians and tribals were still out there and knew that mere guards and soldiers would not be enough to clear them away. A small army could take them down maybe. If they surprised them.

Abeni let her mind wander. She hated being stuck inside without any idea of what to do next. So far her plans after departing with the other initiates had been get to the next city she could reach and gather whoever she could to help her. Sellswords were out of the question. They had no honor and could easily be convinced to fight against you if someone offered a higher price. Her best chance at finding someone who was worth travelling with was someone from a royal family.

Though she hadn’t the slightest clue of how to earn an audience with any lords or ladies of any of the houses, she was sure she could find a way. Being a zebra had to be one of them. It just had to be part of the way. If she could convince them for a low-ranking soldier or guard at least, Abeni would be more secure about traveling the roads to the next shrines.

In the event Abeni couldn’t get anyone to aid her in Eastgate, a sellsword would always be her last minute option, despite her mistrust with them. At least to the next city and the sellsword could be on their way. Once Abeni was out of The North, she planned to cut through the forests to try and locate the next four shrines. Once that was done, then she could return to civilization and find the remaining shrines. Assuming she could survive in the forests.

Her last few days in The North solidified her belief help was in order for the remainder of this quest. If a group of monks and well-trained initiates could not stop a slaughter and end up being flayed and tortured, then what could two or more ponies and a zebra do against them?

Abeni’s head jerked up when the door opened, noting the three mares walking inside. All of them were smiling. Well, almost all of them. One of the mares, probably the youngest and most modest of all of them, looked very unsure of her place in the inn’s bar. She looked around the bar nervously, obviously not belonging in the same class as the other two mares. She must have been a servant. She hesitantly walked behind the two mares, her eyes intently watching the drunken ponies and griffons.

Her eyes widened at the sight of Abeni, who just lowered her head and hoped she wasn’t staring at her. Abeni ated the unnecessary attention she got from ponies who never saw anything other than a pony before. It was just as aggravating when the pony came up to Abeni and didn’t say anything to her. Just got closer to her as though she were an animal at the zoo.

Abeni just looked up slightly to watch the mare, but the servant dressed in rags followed the two mares who were making their way to the table beside Abeni. She felt her jaw set, but quickly relaxed when she realized nothing ‘bad’ had happened yet.

“Tell me again why we came here of all places,” the pompous accent of the light blue mare was like daggers plunging into Abeni’s ears. “You know my mother will have my head if I am found outside the city walls with these...commoners.”

Abeni felt eyes on her as soon as the word came out of her mouth.

“You wanted a decent drink, milady,” the other mare answered, her voice more deep and informal, though somehow still managing a formal tone in her words. “And so here we are. They serve the finest in ale and mead in here. Speaking of,” She looked up at the servant. “Be a good girl and fetch us some mead.”

Abeni noted the scowl from the light blue mare. “You will address Limelight in a better tone next time.”

“My apologies Chill,”

Something similar to a smile spread on Abeni’s face as she watched the servant, Limelight, walk to the counter and nervously spoke to the bartender. In an instant she was returning with the two drinks for both mares. On the way back, Abeni noted her occasional eye drift in her direction.

“Much appreciated, Limelight,” Chill said with a smile. She used her magic to levitate the cup to her mouth and down to the table. “Oh!”

“See?” the other mare said, taking in another sip. “I told you! Mead as strong as The North itself and as tasty as the finest mares in Eastgate.”

Abeni’s eyes narrowed at that last remark.

“Please, Limelight,” Chill gestured. “Enjoy yourself here. We seldom get to leave the confines of the manor.”

“Yes milady,” Limelight looked around. She seemed reluctant to approach Abeni, but in the end, she pulled the seat beside the zebra, much to her dismay.

There was an unbroken silence between the two while Chill and her friend spoke about recent events. Mostly the recent arrival of House Glow in the city two days ago. Apparently they were still getting settled in, and Abeni thought she knew her first stop for gaining a new companion.

“You’re far away from home aren’t you monk,” Limelight said, her eyes still fixed on her lady.

“I beg your pardon?” Abeni found herself saying.

“My brother has read and told me enough about culture around Arcadia and the various species in it,” She responded. “Zebras don’t normally come this far north. What brings you to Eastgate?”

“It is a personal affair,” Abeni answered. She wasn’t sure how else to answer.

“I doubt that. A monk? In Eastgate for a personal affair? I’m not as stupid as one may think,” Limelight said, matter-of-factly. “A monk such as yourself must be here for important business.”

Abeni thought briefly. She was just a servant. A servant to a pony who lived in a manor. Only rich ponies lived in those, according to Abeni. Maybe this servant, if she actually knew what she was doing, could actually lead Abeni to one of the lords of a house. Not a great house, but just one with their own soldiers. Or someone who could easily follow orders, no matter who gave them.

But maybe this mare was just going to lead Abeni down to a dungeon where she would be tortured like her fellow monks. But Abeni needed a way inside. She needed someone to help her in her journey. Even if it was to just one shrine. That would be all she’d need.

“I’m on my pilgrimage,” Abeni said cautiously. Limelight’s ears twitched. As did Chill’s. The mare looked over at her servant and he zebra. “I need safe passage through The North to reach my next shrine. Barbarians of some kind roam your forests. They killed what was left of my fellow monks. I alone cannot pass through such a dangerous land.”

Chill stood, departing from her conversation with her friend, walking elegantly over to Abeni and Limelight. Her short sparkling dress trailing behind her, like there was a great breeze blowing against her.

“And who is this, Limelight?” Chill asked, standing over the two.

“I don’t know milady,” She nervously answered. “I did not get her name.”

Chill looked at Abeni. “I’d prefer to keep my name to myself,”

“You shall address her as-” the other mare broke in.

“Now, now,” Chill said. “I heard that you needed assistance in trekking across the land, am I correct?”

“Yes you are,” Abeni nodded.

“Perhaps you can request the aid from my father,” She suggested. “Maybe he can lend a knight for you to aid you in your journey. Come with us when we leave. I’ll see to it, you have safe passage into the city.”

Abeni felt a sick feeling deep down in her stomach, but nodded and smiled in appreciation. She hated placing her trust in ponies she didn’t know, and given that this one had just offered to help Abeni, she wasn’t sure whether or not she should be grateful. Only time will tell if she would come to regret agreeing with this pony.