Prologue
Winter is a strange thing. Though the harbinger of change for everything, many people fear the cold that it brings. It freezes crops, hampers travel and messages, strangles all sounds other than silence in its icy sanctum; and yet, after all this has passed all who experience it are stronger for it. It is truly a wonderful thing, and terribly powerful. It is for thisnreason that it must be defended.
The fantastic magic that controls the seasons is all controlled by the alicorn sisters of canterlot, all except winter. They refused to have winter in their city so they gave it the form of pony and sent it to the north, to where it was always cold and only as the days grew short did they allow its magic to creep through into the world and let tye icy fingers of winter into the world. It was here that the power of winter stayed, inside a lonely castle amidst the tundras. Along with winter went a small band of ten unicorns, each trained to be effective in both hoof to hoof combat and battlemagic. These were some of the most effective that the sisters had to offer. They traveled north with Winter, built her castle, and protected her against all who would ever come. They were blessed by the sisters to live eternally and now, after 400 years of this icy vigil, they still stand watch, never leaving the castle and never calling for help. Thisnis the reason that ponies panicked when they saw the white sigil of the winters guard on the cloak of a pony who trotted through canterlot, on his way to the castle.
Many had never even seen a member of the winters guard, only heard the stories for they were not meant to leave the north where none but them lived. The small, shaggy black stallion trotted solemly through the streets, not drawing attention to himself though all the same attracting it. He wore a mail vest over his chest and a pair of thick wool pants held up by a thick leather belt that held a thick steel canteen and a dirk. His short sword was strapped across his chest and sat loosely on his back. This would have been enough to make any pony sweat during the heat of summer but a pony who had only known the unrelenting winter was sweating buckets. Yet he still marched up to the castle and entered without a word to the guards. He walked, unapposed all the way to the throne room where the first pony who had spoken to him in days sat dutifully in her throne.
"Windrunner, why do you come here. After all these years, your only correspondence has been through means of letters. What could be so important as to bring you down here, for the first time in centuries and leave Winter with less in her guard," she said. She clearly hadn't expected to see a member of the guard today and was none too pleased by the peril it had placed the castle in for him to come. Even one pony out of place could leave the castle in terrible danger of siege.
He cleared his throat before he spoke but he was still very quiet. "The old wolf and i both agreed that this would be better said in the flesh than in a letter." He spoke quietly.
"Well out with it then." She said, her tone as curt as it had been a moment.
"Winter has become increasingly, well, depressed. She used to explore the castle, walk the halls and the ramparts with the guards during the patrols, sing and tell stories with us at the fires on holidays. None of this she does anymore, she stays isolated in her chambers at all hours of the day now. We believe th-" Celestia interrupted him with a guffaw that clearly surprised Windrunner.
"You leave the castle understaffed, come all the way down to canterlot just to tell me about the feelings of a magical form. Why waste my time and your own with this nonsense? Every moment you are away from that castle you put Winter and your brother's lives at stake." She said, narrowing her eyes and staring the guardsman down but the little stallion would not break her gaze.
"I am full aware of the danger and so were the brothers. I am here for as much Winter's safety as I would be if is was there. Not only do we all love her as a brother would love his sister but we fear she may soon try to escape. She speaks of companionship." He said, a noticeable edge to his voice though he kept everything quite quiet and smooth.
"Companionship? Please, you mean to tell me she longs a coltfriend? How fooli-"
"She does not long a lover, she longs new faces." He interrupted her, his voice no longer quiet but echoed in the marble room. "The past four hundred years have been the same ten faces everywhere she goes. It would be foolish to believe she could have been content living this way for so long."
"Need i remind you that you speak to a princess?" She said, now very clearly aggitated by the small stallion before her.
"Need I remind you that I am not a guard of yourself but one of the north. You have no place to speak to me or about Winter. Only her and the wolf have the right to do that."
"You come to beg replacements in that tone? I shall think not!" She boomed slamming a hoof against the marble which echoed in the cavernous hall and silenced the guardsman before her.
"I do not come for replacements, I come for the means to ensure Winter's safety. Is that not my job?" He said his voice now steady and quiet like it had been though his eyes had narrowed as he glared at the princess before him.
"I will not spend the time training these new guardsmen down here you know. You wil have to do it in the north." She said. Celestia knew how it cold feel to be surrounded by the same faces everyday and, despite the insubbordination of Windrunner, she would grant his wish.
"The green colts down here couldn't train them right anyway." He said curtly.
"Fine, go to the ensign barracks and choose 3 suitable cantidates. You will be provided provisions for yourself and your new charges by the quartermaster and you will leave by sunset." She said, not wanting to leave winter alone for as long as she could manage.
"Quite the timetable but i think i'll manage." He said, smiling that he had gotten what he wanted. Though three recruits had been very few, less than he had hoped, he wasn't going to press. "And thank you, princess." He said as he turned and left.
"At the ready!" The commamder shouted into the bunkroom and a clambering followed as 20 young colts sprung from their beds, or the floor to attention as they had before. Some wore only underclothes as they had been preparing to bathe or sleep after training early that morning. Windrunner walked down the aisle in the center of the room looking each ensign over carefully. Though many ponies in that room towered over him by over a head height, none wouldeet his gaze. They had all learned what the sigil on his back was and what it stood for. And they all had an idea what he could be there for. He walked through the room and eventually chose 3 cantidates by pointing quietly telling them to leave the room.
The three cantodares stood in the hallway wife eyed while they waited for Windrunner. One was a strong and bulky stallion who has the tallest of the group, the second was a slightly shorter and very lean pony that had a mischevious smile. He didn't exactly know the circumstances by which his selection had come about but he had an idea what was going on. And finally the last of the group was a well muscled but small stallion who looked like he had just seen a ghost and thought he may soon become one himself. They glanced back and forth at each other, they knew eachother but had never really spoken and were certainly not friends, but not enemies either.
After a few minutes Windrunnr emerged and closed the door behind himself. They heard the commander shout something inside before he left the room as well.
"Congradulation colts, you've been chosen for Winter's guard. Pack your things and meet me the front gates by sunset, no arguing or excuses." Windrunner said quietly.
Windrunner and his 3 charges set out that evening as the sun winked out below the hills for the north. The three colts had rushed to contact damily and gather belongings in the few hours they had left in canterlot nefore leaving. They were scared and the largest of the bunch almost seemed reluctant but he followed without a word.
Author's Note
I apologize if this seems rushed. I dont really have much planned for this bit but after the prologue i aim to flesh out what is happening. This is also my first shot sriting anything for this site in a very very long time so there are certainly errors in this so please point them out dear reader and please stick with me. I feel this is the beginning of a very lovely story .
