Author's Note

🎶 exposition, exposition, exposition 🎶
Next chapter back to some action...maybe of the smutty kind we'll see.

What the king sees

Canterlot used to be a lovely place but now it was just a reminder of the evil this world. What once was a lush mountainside was now fields of wooden spikes and defenses, the town once filled with smiling faces and laughter now had only chatter of females sold off or being abused, and at the height of it all was the castle that the chief of the Stonehoof clan had taken as his own.
Dainn tore down the tapestries and artwork of the kingdom before and replaced them with scenes of his own victories or conquests. He broke statues of the two Princess who had lived in the castle before his claim to it and raised his own in their place.

The 'king' as he had come to call himself sat on the throne that once belonged to Celestia herself. He had a broken antler and scars across his face with a missing eye healed shut he wore basic armor with metal studs throughout and at his side sat a large Warhammer made of iron, wood, and bone barring his clan's symbol. With a bored expression on his face listening to a male Pegasus go on about...something he really wasn't listening and his tolerance had just run out.

"BE SILENT!" Dainn yelled stepping off the throne walking down its steps. "Make clear what you want now."

"A-apologies my lord, I simply request for more slaves for the guards at my keep." The Pegasus stuttered. "They are becoming...restless."

"That's all?" Dainn asked raising a brow, The Pegasus nodded. "Fine." The caribou answered turning to walk back to his throne.

"Oh thank you, my lord." The Pegasus sighed.

"But in return, I demand twice the payment for them or I will pull it out of your hide...personally." Dainn threatened sitting down. "Or will that be a problem?"

"N-no not at all sire." The Pegasus sputtered before quickly leaving.

As he left a group of caribou walked in all did not dare meet Dainn’s stare. There was silence until one of the soldiers cleared his throat. "Pardon me, my lord?" He said getting Dainn's attention.

"What is it?" Dainn groaned.

"Our scouts have returned with some troubling news." The soldier answered his voice trembling with fear. "Two of our keeps were lost in the last few days, one was a simple checkpoint the other was...was Gravethwaite." He blurted out.

"WHAT!" Dainn shouted his voice boomed out shaking the walls of the throne room. "And I assume you've come with some good news like it was burnt to the ground or what I had kept safe there was retrieved." He continued as he walked back down the steps grabbing the soldier by his throat, lifting him off the ground. "Or am I going to be very angry?"

"We would not come with just that troubling news my king." One of the other guards spoke up. "We have located it."

"Be more specific," Dainn demanded, beginning to choke the soldier he had held up.

"Yggdrasil, we found its branch." The soldier spat out.

"Truly? Well, then that counts for something." Dainn smiled dropping the soldier to the floor. "Any news on the other items I require?"

"Only rumors and here say, sir."

"Hmm, that is a shame…" Dainn sighed. "You three leave but he will stay," Dainn said pointing to the soldier on the ground. The other soldiers didn't dare argue as Dainn retrieved his hammer. "On your feet, you deserve that much."

"My-my lord, please have mercy?" The soldier sputtered.

"On. Your. Feet." Dainn growled. The soldier was up in seconds and made to draw his sword but was stopped by Dainn's hammer smashing into his stomach. The caribou had thrown it and was in front of his opponent before the hammer hit the ground bringing it up and right back down crushing the soldier's head on the ground splitting it apart like a melon. Sighing Dainn walked to the doors leaving the throne room. "Someone clean this up!" He yelled down the halls as he made his way towards one of the large towers of the castle.

In the tower resided a sight very few ever saw in Stonehoof culture. Two females free of collars, dressed in nice but simple clothes, and untouched by the king or his men.
One was an older caribou cow who wore simple pants and a tunic bearing the symbol of Odin along with a black eye patch over her right eye. In her hair were beads and small bones along with a few rare jewels and a simple string necklace around her neck with a cheap copper bar in the middle.
The other was a younger caribou cow who wore similar attire, save for the eye patch and necklace, both were moving about the room covered with pillows and a fire in the middle with shelves of herbs and plants growing on each wall. The two were soon pulled from their little world by the door to the room slammed open revealing Dainn himself.

"Why hello, my king how may I assist you?" The old cow asked not looking away from the plant she was tending to.

"Don't test me, woman," Dainn growled sitting in front of the fire in a huff. "I require your powers."

"And a tree requires water, sun, air, and so I require things." She chuckled handing a small bowl to the younger cow. "To your room, Sigyn, I must work." The young cow nodded walking to a door leading to a bedroom and closing it.

"You dare ask me for anything Helga?" Dainn said with another growl. "Or might I remind you how close your daughter is to coming of age?"

The caribou known as Helga gave a sinister chuckle. "And I'll remind you I don't respond to threats." She turned away from the shelves and walked to the fire opposite Dainn. "And if you want something you must give something, or didn't your mother teach you that?"

"She was a whore just like the rest," Dainn answered.

"Hmm well you're in luck my requests are few," Helga said grabbing a large bowl close to the fire holding a variety of bones. "I wish for my daughter to see more of this land, we shall journey to a place called Appleloosa, you will provide transportation and protection." She told the king sitting down.

"Is that all?" Dainn asked.

"No, one other thing, I will require the use of a forge before my daughter and I depart." She answered giving the bowl a good shake tossing the bones about. "For what reason, they are my own, now pick three." She said holding the bowl towards him. Dainn rolled his eyes and pushed a few around before picking out three looking like a femur, half a pelvis, and a rib. "Interesting choices, into the fire." She gestured and he threw them in beginning to crackle and break.

Helga watched the bones swaying her head side to side before going stiff at a particular snap of the bones. She watched the fire seeing scenes of battles and events to come she saw death, war, and caribou wrapped in flames standing victorious. She suddenly shook herself out of her trance as the bones became ash. Helga looked to Dainn who looked right back before she grabbed a small gourd and popped a cork off it taking a large swig. "The All-father has shown me three events that will come to pass and at its end, a caribou will be victorious." She panted. "Give me your hand." She said and Dainn obeyed with almost no hesitation.

"What must I look for," Dainn asked as she tied a cord around his wrist. "Tell me how I will have victory and you shall have what you ask."

"Oh I know I will, that's what this binding cord is for," Helga said as it gave a brief glow and tightened slightly around the king's wrist. "This will tighten till your hand falls off should you go back on your word."

"I will not break my world so speak of these events, NOW!" Dainn shouted.

"First will be a Valkyrie dripping crimson red on a blood moon night, she will come and her glaze will never leave Canterlot, the next will be a message delivered by the world serpent himself, you are fluent in Jotnar correct?" Helga explained the first two events as she stood walking towards a window.

"And the last? Tell me about the last event." Dainn said following her as she spoke.

"It was vague but you would be wise to fear a day where thunder and lightning dance in the noonday sun without a cloud to join them, that was all I saw and they will all come to pass none can be stopped." Helga finished as a raven landed on the window-seal right in front of her.

"And nothing more?" Dainn asked hoping for anything else.

"Odin is the lord of knowledge…" Helga said letting the raven climb onto her hand stroking its head. "It doesn't mean he shares it...even with those most devoted to him."

"One last thing, I've lost someone important to my plans can you find him?" Dainn asked trying to make eye contact.

"I have always found it strange why you kept that one female, what was her name again?" Helga smiled walking over to a work station the raven hopping onto a perch next to the table. "She was quite the striking beauty, oh what was that name?" Helga took herbs and other ingredients grinding them in a mortar.

"Silence woman and tell me if he can be found?" Dainn spat becoming irritated.

"Oh calm yourself I'm merely trying to recall her name...something with a C or was it an M?" Helga continued taking a match to the mixture causing it to smoke heavily as she breathed it in. She looked to the raven looking into its eye and it looked right back. In an instant, she saw the land from high above forests, mountains, and then she saw Gravethwaite. She saw caribou, ponies, and other races mingling in a quick swoop like movement she was looking into a barred window seeing Vidar the young adult caribou bull snoring softly in the cell covered in blood. Helga watched through the vision as Vidar opened one eye looking directly at her through whatever eyes she looked through before she was suddenly pulled back from the vision returning to her chambers.

"Well did you find him?" Dainn asked eagerly as she tried to catch her breath.

"He is still where you left him." She panted. "But you shouldn't bother looking for him, because he will come seeking you," Dainn looked a bit shocked before smiling and turning the leave but was stopped at the door by Helga speaking. "Reginleif."

"What did you say?" Dainn asked in a mix of shock and building anger.

"That was her name, wasn't it?" She asked already knowing the answer.

Dainn looked at her, pure anger burning in his eyes before grumbling out. "You will have access to a forge tomorrow then a day of rest before you are sent out."

"My thanks, your Majesty," Helga said as Dainn left slamming the door enough to knock a plant on the opposite wall off its shelf. As the plant hit the ground Sigyn peeked her head out of her room. "Come out child there is nothing to fear now."

"Is it true mother we will be leaving the city?" Sigyn asked as she began to pick up the remainder of the plant to move it to another pot. Helga gave her only a smile and nod. "So will I meet the one you saw in your visions?"

"You are training to be a seer as well little one, you tell me," Helga said sitting by the fire. Sigyn looked to the shelves before grabbing bits of various plants, roots, and powders before igniting them with a match and breathing in the smoke. Her visions were never as clear as her mother so instead of clear figures and images, she only saw shadows and clouded scenes at best. "Focus child, " she heard her mother. "Feel the spirits, listen to the ancient ones, they will guide your way." Her vision soon began to become clear she found herself in the middle of a grand castle surrounded by plants and the inhabitants of the castle when she heard a voice call to her she turned to see who it was but only saw a figure engulfed in golden light carrying a large curved blade. She tried to reach for the figure but was suddenly pulled back by an unknown force. "Anything?" Her mother asked.

"Yes and no, he spoke to me but I could not reach him he carried a large blade and was coated in golden light," Sigyn told her looking sad at how little she had seen.

"I've told you to seek a place between serenity and rage that is where you will find true focus," Helga explained. "If you can do that I have no doubt the All-father would show you everything you wish to see." Sigyn nodded to her mother in understanding. "Now go pack your things we leave in a few days."

"Right away." Sigyn said running into her room beginning to pack.

Helga whistled for the raven and it landed on her hand. "Now you, I have a special job for you." She quickly fed the bird some seeds getting light 'caws' in response. "Watch over the impossible one, he will need guidance in his destiny." Helga gave the raven some more seeds before it leaped off her hand and out the window. "Oh, gods in Asgard give me strength for I will need it." Helga sighed to herself watching as the raven flew away. Her vision had been clearer than she led on she had seen three things in her vision in every scene, a raven dripping red with blood, the sun and moon sharing one form, and a scarab made of gold. Even she didn't know what they meant but she knew that soon the lands would shake with the rumbling of battle and war, but at its end, she knew her daughter was going to inherit a better world and that was all she ever wanted and she would make sure it happened.