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"A Hearths Warming Tale."
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>Day snowed-in with Anonymous.
>Be Flare the warm and content.
>It was Hearths Warming eve and the night outside was quiet as the snow continued to drift down as it did every year.
>You never really understood why the unicorns had to bring Canterlot to the point of being snowed in for the holiday.
>Stupid silly tradition.
>Every year prior, which really were just two, you’d spend it alone buried in a mound of every blanket in the house.
>Not this year.
>This year, you had Anon to use as a living heat battery.
>So you’d waited for him to take one of his naps, and when he finally fell asleep, you struck.
>You pulled the quilts off of every bed in your home and brought them over to him, heaping them on his sleeping form before burrowing into it.
>For great snuggles.
>The only part of either you that could be seen amongst the heap of blankets were your heads.
>And even then you were against that, but Anons head wasn’t covered, and you liked to watch him sleep.
>It wasn’t at all creepy.
>You’d never liked winter, it was cold enough in Canterlot without the snow.
>How did Anon stay so warm without a coat? His skin burned like a furnace, drawing you into the heat.
>He was so damn warm.
>This would be his first Hearths Warming here, you realised.
>And he spent so much time either inside, or with Princess Luna now, offering his expertise to the state.
>The weather was scheduled to lighten up by mid morning so that everyone could attend the annual retelling of the Hearths Warming play.
>You’d never attended it yourself on account of it always being too cold for you, but for Anon, perhaps, you’d endure it.
>Tonight, though, you just wanted to snu-
>”Flare.”
>Damn.
“Evening there, Nonny.”
>You adjusted your position, sitting in his lap and looking up at his face.
>He rubbed behind your ear slowly and looked out the window, “How are we still snowed in? Don’t you control the weather, or something?”

>His gaze seemed fixed on the window and you followed it to find that the windows seemed almost completely darkened out by the blizzard outside.
“It’s tradition, the blizzards caused by the Wendigos had snowed in the first Equestrian colonists for days, they had to co-operate and share their supplies to survive. So the weather teams continue to cause blizzards every year to keep us inside together for the holiday.”
>Anon frowned.
>”I thought they got snowed in and discovered some harmony magic thing. At least, that’s what I heard if the play is anything to go by.”
>You gave a dismissive snort at Anons naivety.
“Well they did, but not quite, that’s just a show they put on for the foals, the reality was a little different.”
>Anon folded his arms around you and held you, so at least he wasn’t planning on moving.
>”Is that so? So what really happened to the Wendigos?”
>You thought about it, history had never been your strong suit after all, your dad had focused on more forward thinking skills, despite being a palace scribe.
>How odd.
>Shaking your head, you got back on track.
“Uh... Right, the three tribes united under a single banner and pooled their resources, eventually, the unicorns discovered a spell that would drive the Wendigos away.”
>Anon seemed to think this through as he idly rubbed behind your ears. You loved that and he knew it.
>”Where do bat ponies fit in all of this?”
“Nowhere, really. We actually came to Equestria around that time.”
>”Sounds like quite the tale.”
>You grinned and settled on his lap more comfortably.
“Oh it is, it’s rife with adventure about a group of colonists who ran afoul of the seas...”

~
>You are Admiral Flare, lord commandant of the first colonial fleet.
>Admittedly, that meant little at the moment considering you were on dry land.
>Actually, to call it dry was a massive overstatement.
>You shivered as the snow drifted down from the heavens, settling on your back and wings, chilling you.
~
>”Hang on.” Anon clamped a hand over your muzzle and interrupted you, “You’re not hundreds of years old.”
>You rolled your eyes and licked his hand, forcing him to pull it away.
“Of course not, the historical records are fragmented and incomplete, I’m filling in facts here.”
>Anon gave you a look of amusement, “And you just so happen to be the heroic Admiral?”
“Quiet you. As I was saying...”
~
>”Admiral! This damnable snow will be the end of us if we don’t find shelter!”
>You looked towards your second in command, one vice admiral Echo. She wore a uniform similar to yours, but hid it beneath the heavy cloak she now wore to ward off the cold.
>You turned to her and vaguely wished you had appropriated one of those cloaks before the stores had run out.
>The colony fleet had been meant to find arable land somewhere more temperate, and so there weren’t enough to go around.
>No use worrying about that now.
“Report, number one, are the ships salvageable?”
>Echo straightened and turned back to gaze upon the three ships that had pulled up to the shoreline and beached.
>The ships crews were busy with the work of taking what they could from the wrecks, sails were pulled down, food, water and stocks of gunpowder were extricated from the holds and loaded onto makeshift carts for easy transport.
>Implying that moving through this cold would be anything but difficult.
>”Fortunately, most of the cargo was saved from the flooding of the lower decks, food stores, fresh water... Even some of our stores of gunpowder were saved from the damp.”
>Echo turned back to you with something between a sad and frustrated look.

>”The bad news is that we’ve lost our navigation equipment and most of our maps, even if we could eventually get back to sea, we have no idea where we are.” 
>“To top it off, the Pathfinders say the stars are completely different here, from what they’ve been able to see through the cloud cover anyway...”
>You looked up at the grey skies with Echo, eyeing the stars through the brief breaks in the cloud cover.
“It’s strange... The stars almost look alive.”
>Echo rubbed a forehoof and stamped it in an effort to encourage blood flow, “It’s unnatural, ma’am. It reminds me of the Lunar cults back home and what they’d say about a mare who could control the very stars and moon.”
>Lunar cults.
>Hah. One of the reasons you’d volunteered to lead this expedition was to get away from all that.
“Superstitious nonsense. It’s merely an effect of the atmosphere, that’s all.”
>Echo looked suitably chastened, “Of course, ma’am.”
>She paused for a moment and began again, “Ma’am? What are we to do now?”
>Out came your monocular and you handed it over to Echo, nodding towards the peaks of several mountains in the east, just barely visible through the snow fall.
“I thought we might try for those mountains, there may be some cave systems we can take shelter in.”
>Echo extended the monocular out and gazed into the distance, “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“...I know, but we set off for new lands and we have found one, our maps are gone and we’ve lost marepower and ships, the ones we have are in no condition to sail, so this is where we must make our home.”
>Echo lowered the monocular and looked at you with disbelief.
>”But admiral, this land is in the midst of deep winter, we’ll never be able to grow anything here, and our supplies won’t last that long.”

>She was right, it was freezing and the snow wasn’t even all that heavy, it seemed an unnatural cold that chilled your bones, you’d hate to think what a real blizzard could do.
>However, you had little other choice, your people would die either to starvation or the elements, you had to deal with the problems you could, everything else had to wait.
“I’m well aware of that, Echo... But I don’t see another option.”
>Your second in command nodded in agreement, a look of steely determination crossing her features.
>”Yes, ma’am. I’m with you a hundred percent, you know that. The crew could use some courage though, they’re scared, they need their leader.”
“Something we have in common, at least.”
>Echo nodded once more and left to preside over the colonists, her shouted orders only half registering in your mind.
>Your kind wasn’t designed to live in the cold, and it seemed that fate had given you a future of exactly that.
>Living in the cold.
>Still, you held out hope that this was simply winter and that life here wouldn’t be so harsh during the other seasons.
>You chewed your lip thoughtfully and brought some snow up from the ground, it quickly began to melt against your hoof and you licked at it to get at the water.
>It was surprisingly good, but cold. Which didn’t bother you as much as it should have.
“By the Chancellor, I’m going native...”
>You turned back towards the shore and made your way to the group of bedraggled and weary bat ponies.
>They had seemed full of hope during the voyage, for the most part anyway.
>They had set off with high hopes and vivid dreams of a fresh start. 
>Some had wanted to get away from the cities and live a simpler life. Some had  set off to make something of themselves, and other still had left because they wanted a different setting for their families.
>Some, however, had left because they wanted to do some forgetting.
>Or be forgotten.

>All were now filled with despair, but they continued to work, continued to carry on, because there wasn’t anything else they could do.
>These people...
>Your people.
>They would need something to unify them, a purpose, some common cause to which they could rally and hold hope to.
>You clambered on top of a crate, your cold numbed limbs barely feeling the ascent as you gazed over your ponies, a few of them pausing in their work to gaze back up at you, beginning to crowd around you.
>They awaited your word, your order.
>Maybe they half expected you to order them back to the blizzard, the tempest and the sea.
>Maybe they had just wanted to see what you would say in the face of your situation.
>Soon, the colonists, the ship crews and their guardians had all gathered around you, barely a murmur passing through the air as they waited for you.
>You spied Echo smiling at you in the crowd, and she raised her hoof in an encouraging gesture.
“We left our home with a single goal in sight, to find a new home. We all thought that this would be easy, that we would find a calm and welcoming place to build in.”
>You let your words settle with the crowd, allowing them to think about what they had set out for.
“However, that is not the case. We have run aground, and now we are lost in this hostile, dead land. We have no way back home, because to return to sea would be a death sentence for us all, and even if it were not, we have been cast astray from our path and the way home is vague and uncertain.”
>The crowd let out an almost inaudible, resounding sigh, one that spoke volumes of defeat, and you lowered your head in shame, it had been your responsibility to care for these ponies, to lead them to a home.
>It was still your responsibility.

“Bleak as our current situation may be, our goal has not changed, my duty to each of you remains the same. I will see you with a home in the face of this adversity, no matter the obstacles, no matter the difficulty. We will claim a home here and survive, even thrive and prosper!”
>The crowd began to look up to you with determination, and you knew then that they would face the hardship and all other hardships, and they would have to, but they had something to hope for now.
“Please, don’t let go of your hope. We will triumph, we will survive, and yes, we will stand together.”
>With a confidence, you turned and pointed towards the mountains in the distance.
“Our goal stands in sight, it stands on the horizon! Waiting for us to claim it! The road will be hard, but we stand together!”
>Your people all began to speak enthusiastically amongst each other, their spirits visibly brightened and it seemed for just a moment that the palpable feeling of hope in the air fought off the winters chill.
~
>”That was strangely precise for a historical accounting.”
>You sighed and punched Anons shoulder lightly
“I’m filling in details to make it more interesting, otherwise it’d just be ‘this happened, and then this happened, and then that happened’ like some boring story.”
>”Alright... Continue, I’m intrigued.”
“Right, where was I? Ah, yes.”
~
>Not long after your dramatic speech, the ships had been fully salvaged and everything the could be taken from the shore had been loaded onto makeshift wagons, those who bore injuries, young foals and their families rode on the wagons as well.
>They were pulled by teams of bat ponies from the ships crew and those who thought they were strong enough to handle the load.
>Soldiers who had accompanied the colonial fleet in order to protect it from piracy and predation flanked the convey, their duty as unchanged as yours was.

>However, the lines between soldier, sailor and colonist were blurring, all of you were in the same proverbial boat now.
>As for you, you stood at the head of the convoy, good commanders led from the front after all, and Echo had seen fit to join you, and had taken her place at your side rather than with the colonists.
>She was more Equinetarian than soldier, so her choice to stand by you was a surprising one.
>Although, it was a welcomed choice, Captain Echo’s counsel had been invaluable thus far. That and she was blunt, unafraid of voicing her opinion to you, which you found to be a good quality in a second in command.
>Also at your flanks were guards too. Who knew what kinds of creatures made their homes within the woods beyond in this hostile and frigid land, after all?
>You would much prefer that you travel in the open air, detrimental as that may be, the snowfall was simply too thick on the open ground for the wagons to make any quick headway.
>Therefore, the only viable path lay between the trees throughout the forest rather than around it. 
>The convoy would be exposed to whatever lurked within.
>How fortunate for you.
>The trees loomed overhead, their branches clawing at the grey skies before blocking it out completely, casting you in darkness.
>The only sounds to be heard were the low murmur of the weary colonists, the groaning of the trees and the muffled howling of the wind above the forest.
>”Admiral?”
>The sound was loud by comparison and you jumped a little and turned to Echo, whose ears twitched towards every sound wearily.
>You quickly found that the same was true of many within the convoy, with few even casting wary glances into the darkness of the underbrush beyond the trails the Pathfinders had been guided you down.
“What is it, Echo? There’s no need for formality anymore.”

>She stepped closer to you, as if seeking some form of protection.
>Echo hadn’t yet realised that you were as scared as she was, but there was no reason she couldn’t keep that ignorance if it made her feel safer.
>”There’s something in here with us, or lots of somethings... I can hear them.”
>Once again, Echo proved an apt second since her hearing was much better than everyone elses.
>So, if Echo said something was around, something was around.
>If it were a big thing, it would have attacked by now, so left lots of smaller things.
>Tartarus if you could tell which of those were worse, but you had to do something.
“Echo, if you would order the guards to form up more tightly around the perimeter, that would be great.”
>She saluted, “Yes, ma’am.”
>You grabbed her shoulder as she turned.
“Quietly... We don’t want to startle whatever’s out there.”
>She nodded and made her way down the line, addressing each squad leader calmly, as if in casual conversation.
>Forming up the guard could prove to be a costly delay as the train of ponies and cargo would move slower under organised guard.
>Still, this wasn’t anything near the Infantry and Artillery formations you’d led earlier in your career, so you were still making good headway.
>The real race would be between finding suitable shelter before the supplies ran out.
>You had to have faith in the Pathfinders, as alien as this land may be in comparison to their usual stomping grounds of hills, mountains and caves, they knew what they were doing.
>Echo interrupted your thoughts as she returned, making her report in near silence, keeping her voice low.
>In fact, everyone had been doing that ever since you’d entered this moon forsaken forest, yourself included.
>”I’ve tightened the formations around the sides and rear, ma’am, and assigned one of the Pathfinders to the rear to keep an eye out.”

“Thank you, Echo, that makes me feel so much safer.”
>There it was again, you’d simply murmured your acknowledgement.
>Again, your thoughts were cut short as the convoy came to a stop ahead of you, the advance guard talking quietly amongst themselves as the trio of Pathfinders at the head ventured forward and seemingly vanished into the ground.
>You almost gasped in shock, but managed to keep yourself reigned in.
>One of the ever silent scouts reappeared, her lambent green eyes on you, she beckoned you forward.
>Never one to refuse such a calling, you stepped forward to find that the Pathfinders had hit upon a frozen stream.
>Stream was an understatement.
>”Ma’am, we’ve unfortunately come across an obstacle.”
>The mares mouth moved, but that had been the voice of a stallion.
>He removed his hood and looked at you.
>No wonder her wore it, his looks were entirely feminine, if he hadn’t spoken, you would have continued to mistake him for a mare.
“Alright. Your name, Pathfinder?”
>”Hekesuh, ma’am. As you can see, there’s a river in our way.”
>He gestured to his fellows, who seemed to be cautiously and lightly tapping at the glass-like surface of the frozen river, conversing with each other in quiet tones.
“It’s frozen, though. Can we not simply cross it?”
>Hekesuh shook his head, “No ma’am. The ice here is too thin for a full crossing, we may get one or two groups across, but the wagons would need to be left behind.”
>Well that wasn’t an option.
“Can we go upstream and travel around the source lake?”
>The scout seemed to think about it for the moment, exchanging a look with his compatriots, who seemed to turn as one to him.
>One shrugged and went back to tapping at the ice while the other subtly shook their head.

>”Perhaps, but the only water in the forest is the river. There’s no way to tell how far upstream we’ll have to go, or even if we’ll be able to remain on course while following the river.”
>Okay, so that wasn’t option either, that left...
“We’ll have to find a suitable crossing point.”
>Hekesuh nodded in silence as you ran a hoof through your mane.
>Obviously, you couldn’t send the Pathfinders off to find a crossing on their own, small groups would be easy targets for predators.
>Only they could find out which places were safe to cross, however.
“Alright, we’ll split into two groups, one scout each with an armed escort while the convoy remains here.”
>”Yes, Admiral.” Hekesuh turned to one of his scouts and raised his hoof, beckoning over as you went to collect a few good guards.
>Echo quickly volunteered herself.
”Echo, I need you to remain in charge here.”
>She shook her head in determination, a few gathered snowflakes falling loose as she did.
>”That’s going to have to be a ‘no’, ma’am. Besides, Midnight Blossom can take command, she’s a fine officer.”
>Stubborn.
“Alright fine, but only because you have excellent hearing. It’s not like I like travelling with you or anything.”
>She mumbled in response, probably something derogatory.
>Or maybe not from her blush.
>Next to volunteer was one Lieutenant Night Watch. Notoriously promiscuous and dangerous with all forms of polearms, a claim she usually made in some form of innuendo.
>Naturally she cajoled her the best in her unit to join your little expedition and it was set.
>Hekesuh would lead your team upriver.
>Those going downriver went with a quiet mare with fur that matched the snow around her and eyes to match the ice.
>Hekesuh took his counterpart aside, “Keep mark of the distance as you move, If a crossing can’t be found in fifteen minutes, return here.”

>The mare nodded and drew her cloak tighter around herself before returning to her group, simply brushing past them and moving off downriver, her team following quietly, their murmured conversation fading as the shadows cast from the woods swallowed them and their torch.
>He watched them go for a moment before turning back to you, offering you a small bow, “If I may, Admiral?”
>You adjusted your cloak and stepped forth.
“By all means, Hekesuh, lead the way.”
>With no further delay, Hekesuh lead your group off into the night, the only light available being that of the moon light piercing the clouds and canopy and the torch Echo carried.
>Sounds were muffled by the trees around you and the convoy quickly fell out of sight, replaced by the crowding overgrowth.
>Soon, all that was left were the near silent hoofbeats of you entourage and the gurgling of the river beneath the ice.
>None of you even spoke, and it seemed to you that remaining silent would be for the best, lest the woods, or whatever lay in them, be disturbed.
“Echo...?”
>She made her way to you and replied in the same hushed tone you’d just used.
>”Yes, Admiral?”
>You swallowed and looked around.
“Can you hear anything out there?”
>She looked to her left, towards the ever thickening treeline that hugged the banks of the river, clicking her tongue at it and listening.
>”Nothing, ma’am... Just the trees.”
>Your gaze turned next to Night Watch, who returned it, recognising the question in your eyes.
>She adjusted her grip on her spear, “Likely wolves, ma’am. They haven’t attacked because we’re in group, and I doubt they’ll attack at all.”
>Hekesuh chimed in from the front of the group, his voice slightly louder as he spoke over his shoulder.
>”Let us hope wolves are the only thing we have to worry about.”
>You didn’t like the sound of that. You didn’t like the sound of that at all.

>All fell silent after Hekesuhs comment and began to turn wary glances towards the woods.
>Pathfinders were well known for their accurate guesswork, which bordered on downright precognition on occasion.
>”Here. I believe the ice here may be stronger.”
>Hekesuh dropped down to the river bed and began to tap his way across the ice, his dappled cloak slowly turning from it’s muddy green and brown to white as the snow settled on it.
>Everything seemed to be going well, nothing was attacking and you simply grouped at the rivers edge, watching the Pathfinder do his thing.
>You began to realise that, just maybe, with such ponies as these with you, there might yet be a future for this colony you wished to found, a permanent future, even.
>Minutes passed and Hekesuh worked slowly and methodically, mapping out the strong points in the ice.
>That was when you heard it, the lightest crunch of snow behind you.
“Lieutenant?”
>”Yes, ma’am?”
“I’m afraid I forgot to ask you to put someone on watch.”
>Everyone froze, hooves and mouths going to weapons.
>Very slowly, you turned your ears back, taking note of more movement around the clearing as the snow crunched under the unknown.
>You readied your sabre.
“Take it away, Lieutenant.”
>Night Watch nodded as she readied her polearm, her voice kept low.
>”Alright, fillies. Ready arms, combat distance is five feet, make them wait for it. Form a picket line and force them back to the treeline. Engage on my go.”
>The crunching got closer, all of you could hear it now.
>Your mouth tightened on the handle of your sabre.
>”Go.”
>As one, you spun on the spot and presented your weapons to the enemy.
>And what an enemy it was.

>Where you had expected the simple wolves you were used to back home, these had great spikes of ice frozen to their bodies, ending in razor sharp tips as though it were a part of them
>Even their teeth were tipped with shards of ice, as though the wolves had turned the ice to their advantage.
>Next, you had noticed their eyes, which glowed an unhealthy yellow green and pierced the darkness menacingly.
>Echo thrust her torch at them, and they retreated but a single step, growling openly now.
>It was then you noticed their bodies beneath the hunks of ice on their backs.
>They were made of wood, and each movement they made groaned and creaked much like a tree branch would.
>Their limbs were gnarled and made of sinews of flexible wood with claws tipped with wicked thorns.
>It was then you realised that any time the trees groaned, it could be these monstrosities closing in.
>Getting over your initial shock, you swung your sabre at one who had gotten close, the blade digging into the wooden skin of the creature with a thunk.
>It yelped and leapt back, a thick, yellowish sap seeping from its freshly acquired wound.
>”Forward! Drive the beasts back!”
>Step by step, the six of you drove forward, weapons sinking into the living wood or skittering over the almost metal hard ice that seemingly grew from them.
>You suffered a scratch from the beast you had wounded earlier, and it seemed dead set on you and you alone, it’s eyes glaring at you with an almost intelligent gleam.
>Sabre in hoof now, you managed to keep it at bay, even while doing no real damage to it.
>Your weapon clattered against patches of ice scattered over it’s body with a sound you’d expect to hear in weapon to weapon combat.
>After one such strike, you lost your balance and the hulking wolf dove in for your foreleg, it’s ice tipped teeth sinking into it with ease as it bowled you over.

>You barely felt the initial pinch before your leg went numb with cold, drawing a strangled cry from you.
>”Flare!”
>Echo’s shout barely carried to you, the blood pounded in your ears rapidly as you used your remaining foreleg to punch the beast worrying your leg, it’s teeth still buried deep.
>In a moment of curiosity, you noted that the blood barely even seeped from the wound, the unnatural cold emanating from the beasts teeth seemed to slow the flow of blood.
>Another thought crossed your mind that this could be your end, even as you struggled to get the creature off of you.
>You heard the groan of a heavy string.
>A click.
>And in a blur of motion, the heavy shaft of a crossbow bolt was suddenly buried haft deep in the creatures eyes, the razor sharp head of the bolt having driven it’s way through it’s head.
>With a savage, pain filled roar, the thing let you go and stumbled backwards, its paw swiping at the irritation in its eye, still very much alive and angry, even with a bolt through its head.
>Before you could react, Echo had suddenly charged to its side, thrusting her torch towards it.
>With a spark, the sap from the wounds you’d inflicted across its body caught alight, engulfing the abomination in flame.
>The scene seemed to slow then, the wooden construct rearing up, its forelimbs clawing at the air as it’s body was consumed by fire, the ice over its body remaining solid.
>Your compatriots baring their weapons at the remaining beasts.
>Hekesuh  suspended in the air, wings flapping as he moved to load another bolt in his crossbow.
>Echo moving towards you.
>The remaining beasts howling as they began to retreat reluctantly, leaving their fellow to burn.
>Your vision began to darken as you nursed your injured leg, eyes on Echo as she sat by you, her words muffled as you blacked out.

~
>Over the course of the story, you and Anon had moved to separate sides of the couch, with you having draped yourself in quilts while he kept a pillow in his lap, hands resting on it.
>He sat in rapt attention to your story.
>”Then what happened?”
>You thought for a moment, recalling facts drawn from historical records and folklore accounts of the time.
“Well, they took Admiral ‘Flare’, back to the convoy and treated her wounds. The Pathfinders had found their crossing and led the colonists across it, now wary of further Timberwolf attacks.”
>You snuggled into the quilts, almost imagining the crisp, cold air and drifting snow through the forest they travelled through, now known as the everfree.
“The colonists travelled for many days, their commander slipping between delirious consciousness and sleep of such deepness that they thought her dead. It was around a week of travel that they happened upon the region now known as Hollow Shades.”
>You’d called Hollow Shades home while deployed as the part of the night watch there under, well, Night Watch.
“That was when their real trial began.”
~
>Be Admiral Flare.
>You were lathered with a cold sweat and had blankets heaped upon you, and were even close to a fire as far as you could tell.
>Your eyes refused to open, as they felt gummed shut.
>Despite the source of heat and the blankets, you shivered with cold and you could feel your sweat squeezing itself from your body.
>The story was a different one for your head and foreleg, both of which burned hot, the latter throbbing painfully.
>Trying to move it was impossible, it felt like it was now made of lead and you could barely feel it at all.
>A determined effort on your part eventually got yours eyes partially open.
>You really wished you hadn’t.
>A burning hot blazier sat dangerously close to you and all sources of light were painfully bright, colours were more full and stood out more.

>You had a fever, you knew the hallmarks and in an ice locked land such as this, that could be dangerous for you.
>A twitch of your good foreleg brought the heavy blankets off of you, a groan leaving your throat as you looked down at your ruined leg.
>Or rather, the bloodsoaked bandaging.
>No wonder you couldn’t feel it, the Apothecaries must have scraped together what pain numbing herbs they could to keep you comfortable.
>Looking around, you realised that you were in a tent of some sort, so it was clear that Echo had taken command and found a suitable place to make camp.
>Through the flaps, you could see snow, the trees and a few other tents.
>The smell of cooking fires and the murmur of many bat ponies gathered into place.
>It was the sound of wavering hope, but they clung to it.
>You sat up, determined to know how things had fared while you were out, as you could barely remember anything from your brief periods of delirium.
>It was then that Echo stepped into the tent with Midnight Blossom, likely promoted to Echo’s second in command.
>Upon seeing you up, Echo grinned brightly, her eyes feel to your leg and it died immediately as she grimaced.
>”I’ll oversee the workers, ma’am. It’s good to see you up, by the way.”
>Midnight saluted to you, then Echo, and left the tent.
>For her part, Echo made her way to you and moved the brazier way to the middle of the room again, her eyes refusing to meet yours.
“Command suits you.”
>”I hate it, Admiral. I’d rather have the freedom that comes with being in second.”
>You laughed lightly.
>Laughing hurt.

“So what happened after...?”
>Echo brought over bandages and a small table, setting a jug of water by the brazier.
>”May I?” She gestured to your injured hoof and you nodded, preparing to grit your teeth.
>She gently moved your hoof, an odd sensation as you could swear you felt nothing at all when she touched or even moved it, just the constant throb.
>”After you fell, Pathfinder Hekesuh confirmed the crossing and we took you back to the convoy. You were long unconscious by that time and shivering with cold.”
>She deftly snipped away the bandages around your wound as she spoke, intent on her work.
>”The Apothecaries worked on you while we moved, at that point, we were suffering the odd attack from Timberwolves.”
“Timberwolves?”
>Echo shrugged, “Night Watch decided to call them that.”
>She pulled away the bandages gently and looked to you, “Any feeling?”
“No, the Apothecaries must have used too much deadener.”
>She shook her head as she retrieved the jug and a small wooden bowl, sliding the bowl beneath your arm as she poured the warmed water over it.
>”They didn’t, it wasn’t needed, you weren’t showing an sort of pain response from your leg, they think it might be frostbite, but there’s no external signs.”
>Looking down at your leg, you saw the neat rows of holes in your arm, blood oozed out as Echo washed the wound clean.
>It wasn’t in any way gory, just the deep marks the teeth had left in your arm.
>You winced regardless.
>Echo then went about applying ointment to your wound before rebandaging it, continuing with her report as she did.

>”Eventually, the Timberwolf attacks stopped and we came upon this place. The ground is sort of sunken in, like a crater, so the winds aren’t as bad here, and the trees are different, they’re taller, more like the trees back home. So we have shelter somewhat.”
>Echo had done an excellent job leading, you were glad she’d come along.
“What about the mountains?”
>Echo put away the bandages and medical supplies as she spoke, “There’s a slight problem with that, and it’s difficult to explain.”
>...
>”You need to see it for yourself.”
“Outside? I’m not sure I can walk on this...”
>Your eyes turned to your leg, now freshly bandaged, with only a few patches of blood staining the soft fabric.
>Echo moved over to you again, helping you to sit up properly, “Don’t worry about that, ma’am. The Apothecaries are working on that, and in the meantime, I can help you walk.”
>She handed a cloak over to you and helped you put it on, moving your deadened foreleg into it.
>Echo took it over her shoulder to help you stand and the two of you made your way out of the tent.
>Everywhere you looked, you saw bat ponies moving to and fro, occupied with various tasks. Soldiers stood on watch, artisans worked on suspending platforms amongst the trees.
>You recognised the crude shape of a town coming into place.
>After a few minutes of labored travel amongst the working ponies, Echo had finally led you into a small clearing. The ever present snow falling still from the sky.
“Is it day or night?”
>”Nighttime ma’am, and I think you should see the mountains.”
>Without further delay, she pointed you in the right direction, and you beheld something out of legend.
>Around the highest peak, writhing through the clouds themselves were enormous flying beasts, almost transparent and resembling Equines as you knew them only in the barest sense.
>The clouds swirled and roiled in what was clearly a blizzard of great severity.

>It was awe inspiring, and terrifying.
“What are they?”
>Echo shook her head, “We don’t know, but we do know that the more agitated they get, the worse the storm up there gets. It’s not so bad down here, but the closer we get to the mountains, the worse the going will be. So I ordered us to stop here, the Pathfinders say there should be caves around a formation like this, so if the storm gets any worse, we can always retreat underground.”
>Your second in command had made absolutely the best call and quite possibly saved the lives of everypony here.
“So... Chief? What now?”
>Echo managed to field a smile as she nudged you.
>”You take your command back.”
“But you were doing so well, and I figured I’d sit on my butt a little more.”
>”Not going to happen, Admiral, not on my watch!”
>The silence that followed was a good silence and it wasn’t one you wished to break, but you felt you needed to confess to Echo.
“Echo? I never thanked you for saving me.”
>”I wasn’t about to let you become that dogs chew toy, ma’am.”
“You know what I meant.”
>She nodded and pawed at the snow, “Back on the ship...”
“I’d have gone down with it and still believed that I could have saved the ship.”
>”Devotion like that is a good thing, Admiral.”
>You looked away in shame, the lives of everyone on your ship would have ended for your pride had it not been for her.
“Not when such a devotion costs the lives of dozens, you made the call that I refused to make, and you made me go through with it.”
>Echo maintained her silence.
”Clobbering me with a bat was a good touch.”
>Echo snickered at the pun.
>”I was out of chloroform.”
>The pair of you enjoyed a good laugh and you knew that no matter the challenge, whether it was Timberwolves, spirits in the sky, or even your own stupidity, you knew that Echo would step up to knock some sense into you, sometimes literally.

>These are the things you pondered as you made your way back to camp with your second in command...
>No.
>Your friend.
>A terrible roar and distant screams cut your thoughts short and you were immediately overcome with worry.
“Damn it all, does this place never stop?! Echo, we need to hurry, come on!”
>You fell into the snow as you tried to get to camp under your own power, your injured foreleg having simply gone limp, a shock of pain going through your body, making you cry out.
“Ah! Echo, go! Make sure they’re alright!”
>”Yes, ma’am! Stay there.”
>With that, she left at a gallop, leaving you to your dilemma.
>Getting back to your hooves was an effort, and you managed to bundle your cloak into a makeshift sling, leaving you to the open air.
>It was alright, the cold never bothered you anyway.
>Not now, anyway. It seemed your body had remained cold despite the fire.
>With that, you set off, and never let it be said that walking on three hooves is easy.
>When you finally broke through to the camp, you saw a creature worse than the Timberwolves and the creatures in the sky.
>This one towered high over the tents, scars were visible through it’s pale yellow coat. It had the tail of a scorpion that was thicker than the mast on your ship and a barb that dwarfed a pony in size by half. the span of its wings were on par with a sail and its teeth were larger than any blade you could wield.
>All of this with the visage of a cat or lion.
>It was something out of a legend, or nightmare.
>A Chimera.
>Swallowing your fear, you knew this behemoth had to be stopped before it tore your colonists apart, no steel and no arrow could hope to harm that thing.
>You spotted soldiers attempting to drive it off with little success, crossbow bolts and arrows flying into the beast as it swiped and swatted at its enemies.
>Some enterprising colonist had opened the store of muskets, the boom and smoke of shots being fired peppered through the sounds of panic and battle.

>You knew none of those would do, not in small quantities. Only something larger would kill it.
>Limping towards the wagons, you found what you were looking for.
>The gunpowder, and a sail salvaged from one of the ships.
>You’d need help to set this up.
>And you needed to act fast, the wind was starting to pick up sharply and you found your mane being whipped around by the gusts of wind blowing through the trees.
>It was only a matter of time before the snow fell more heavily, and with that came the chance that the damp would get into the gunpowder.
>Echo came up to you from behind and tried to tug you away from the wagons, “We need to go, we can’t fight this thing!”
>Throwing her off, you uncovered the barrels of salvaged gunpowder.
“Yes we can, gather some people to help me set this up.”
>”You’re crazy!”
“Go!”
>You took her sabre and used it to pry open a crate, revealing another store of firearms. You’d always wondered why you had to bring so many weapons, but you weren’t one to complain at the moment.
>Casting glances at the Chimera, you hastily loaded two of the pistols and holstered them before grabbing the sail with your teeth, dragging it towards a clearer area.
>Soon, Night Watch, Midnight Blossom and a few others came over, and you wasted no time ordering them to pile the barrels of gunpowder onto the sail as you straightened it out.
>It’d be shoddy, but it would have to do, you didn’t have the time to plan this out as much as you’d like. THe Chimera wasn’t going to wait on you.
“Rope, I need rope. Echo! Find me some rope, quickly!”
>Picking up the sabre again, you cut several holes into the line of the sail, taking a line of sailing rope from Echo and running it through the holes.
>Soon enough, an entire wagon load of gunpowder was amassed in the middle of the sail, and threw the rope to Night Watch, wincing as your injury flared up in pain at the activity.

“Hoist it up and hold it there! Midnight, get everyone to disengage at once.”
>You pulled out one of the pistols with your good hoof.
>Echo gave you a look and you returned it, holding it for a moment.
“Hoist it up!”
>She shook her head, but already, the bundle of gunpowder was being pulled into the air, the rope slung over one of the branches as a makeshift pulley.
>Echo had no choice but to hold her position some distance away with the others, leaving you alone in the clearing.
>The Chimera roamed about, wounded and looking for a fight, it’s scorpion tail lashing out, Midnight having pulled everyone back.
>With only one good hoof with which to fire, you’d have to stand.
>Your wings were going to be so cold.
>Carefully, you reared up and extended your wings to balance yourself, taking a deep breath, bringing the pistol up and aiming it straight at the Chimera.
>The wind whipped at you and you fought to steady your aim, your injured arm causing you to wince.
>A stray thought occurred to you.
>Echo was hot and you were gay for her.
>You’d need to do something about that after all this was over.
>You pulled the trigger, a resounding boom accompanying a roar of outrage as the bullet embedded itself in it’s target.
>The Chimera turned it’s baleful gaze on you and you quaked on the inside at the attention of something so terrible.
>Your hoof went down to the next pistol and pulled it up at the ready, wings flapping to keep yourself on your hind legs.

>It turned fully to you and you took note of the muscles bunched in preparation for a charge.
“I made a promise...”
>The Chimera lashed its tails, gouging out chunks of wood from the surrounding trees as it began its charge towards you, a roar of battle leaving its throat, challenging you for the land you stood upon.
>You aimed the pistol at its charging head, unsure if it had any intelligence, but not wanting to give the trap away in case it did.
“...To see my people with a home...”
>Your fore leg ached and you grit your teeth, determined to ride it out.
“...That we would stand together... Through the lightning, and the tempest.”
>Up went the barrel of the pistol, aiming at the mass of collected gunpowder, the blast would likely injure the Chimera enough to drive it away, if not kill it outright.
>You were quite close to it too, it was good that Echo was more apt a leader than you.
“...And that we would never lose hope!”
>On your final word, you stared the Chimera straight in the eye as it came near the gunpowder, pulling the trigger.
>Time seemed to slow for another moment. The kickback of the pistol, the bullet flying home.
>The little puff of gunpowder as the bullet penetration the sail, and one of the barrels, the tiniest spark as the hot bullet lit up the powder around it.
>The pops that would ignite that first barrel, and then the barrels around it.
>The Chimeras oblivious eyes on yours as hell broke loose above it.
>Fire engulfed it as the trap closed and the gunpowder detonated, the Chimeras roar of pain and rage cut short as it died, shards of metal and burning wood flung throughout the clearing as the shockwave threw you back, some of the shrapnel cutting into you painfully.
>Your head hit the ground with force, stunning you.
>It was done, you were in pain, bleeding and battered, but it was done.

>A groan left you as you stared at the sky the snow falling quite heavily now that a large portion of the immediate canopy had been blasted apart by the detonation.
>The mountains were even in view, and the equinoid spirits that roiled and writhed aggressively in the sky, flying in close circles around that particular mountain.
>Your view became suddenly blocked by Echo’s visage, she looked happy.
>She slapped you.
>Scratch that, angry.
>”You’re a madmare, ma’am! You could have been kil- mmph!”
>While she’d been talking, you used your good hoof to yank her down for a kiss.
>...
>You’d just risked your life around a large amount of gunpowder to take down a behemoth of legend, so yes, you took the kiss.
>After a moment, she’d relented and kissed back, her hoof simply resting on your chest.
>You broke away first, satisfied with your reward.
>”I should have done that sooner...~”
>Echo blushed hard, but quickly regained her composure, “I hate to break our little celebration, Admiral, but the blizzard is getting worse, we need to find shelter.”
>She helped you up and you cast your eyes skyward.
“It’s them... Those things in the sky are doing it.”
>At this point, several bat ponies had gathered around the fallen corpse of the Chimera and were now all looking skyward through the falling snow as the spirits in the sky howled.
“Come on... We’ve held onto hope so far, give us this... Just give us this.”
>The howling grew louder and the temperature dropped sharply, ice beginning to form and spiderweb over the trees.

>Then, in nothing short of a miracle, a piercing beam of purple light sprang forth from the mountainside, lancing through the heavens.
>It maintained itself for a moment before bursting, the spirits howling in rage as the clouds were driven away, the sky clearing as they fled from the light, revealing the dawn sky.
>The heat of the beam could be felt even from as far away as you were, and it began to melt the snow and ice, the temperature raising considerably.
>Relief flooded you, even as you denied that such a thing was possible, it seemed that your prayers had been answered, an impossible thing.
>The things you had seen since you came here though, you were ready for the idea of impossible things.
>This is what you pondered as the beam slowly waned and winked out, leaving little evidence that it was ever there.
>It mattered not, you had a home now, you’d held onto hope and even gained something more than a friend in Echo.
>In that moment, you knew that this would be a home worth fighting for.
>These hollow shades you would dwell in.
>Hollow Shades.
~
“And that was the end of the Admirals story... Hollow Shades was born and they built their village, eventually, they winter cleared up completely and those first bats found their home to be an ideal place to live.”
>Anon looked suitably impressed, “I think they’d be better off showing that as the Hearths Warming play.”
>You waved your hoof dismissively, “I doubt it went exactly like that, I just made it more interesting and action packed than it probably was.”
>Anon leant back into the couch, adjusting his position to better relax, “So, what happened to the Admiral? Did she marry her second in command and live happily ever after?”
>You frowned as you recalled the clearest part of the historical record.
“Sadly, no. Weakened by her wounds, she succumbed to fever some days later. The Apothecaries couldn’t save her because in the Manticore attack, they’d lost their herbal supplies and didn’t know what was safe to use for medicine. Her second in command took charge and led the colonists into a prosperous future.”
>Anon frowned at the news, “Why are all the good romances tragedies?”
>You chuckled.
“Hold on, now. No one’s even sure if she was ‘like that’ with her second in command.”
>Anon gave you a look, “Too bad, I ship it. It may be disrespectful, but I’ll feel better if she knew love before the end.”
>Clambering out of the mound of quilts, you sat in Anons lap and gave him a hug. You’d let him have this one.
“Sure, then. It’s not clear anyway, so there’s no evidence proving that she didn’t.”
>Anonymous hugged you back and looked out the window, “The blizzard’s starting to clear up.”
>You almost felt a pang of regret, this had been the best Hearths Warming you’d ever had.
>Now it would be a whole year until the next one.
>”Hey, Flare?”
“Mmm?”
>”Happy Hearths Warming.”
>You smirked.
“Merry Christmas, Anonymous.”