Aftermath: A Salve for the Spirit - The Banquet Space

[Bellosh]

 

Elsewhere in the banquet area, the one caribou lad that Cadence caught a glimpse of earlier had managed not to attract the attention of anyone else. Lími, the adolescent ward of Jarl Sigrun and High Shaman Ylva, arrived late to the event, and for the most part stuck stayed off to the side. As typical of caribou, he did not dress overly fancy; Lími’s usual linen cloak of a dulled green sufficed. However, the adolescent calf’s features appeared rather pensive, seemingly content to observe everyone else.

In truth, Lími was rather curious to learn about ponyfolk. Based on what he heard from his fellow caribou throughout the last several days, the diminutive equines embraced a life of great contradictions. Ponies shun violence in order to embrace harmony, and yet they somehow end up defeating a mighty army, consisting of some of the most capable warriors known to Whitescar. Among their ranks was Lími’s older half-brother, Brann the Red Jarl. Given that the Crystal Empire had every reason to vow revenge on the Red Jarl, Lími had seriously considered not bothering to show up here at all, just in case ponies didn’t take too kindly to the Red Jarl’s brother.

The only reason Lími eventually decided to come was out of respect for Sigrun and Ylva, who worked so hard to help mend the rift between caribou and ponies. Randgrid would be there too; Lími hadn’t seen her blood relative from Clan Aured for a very long while now. Doubtless Randgrid would heavily inquire about the boy’s physical growth and his training as a warrior, Lími thought to himself. It would be a most welcome reunion indeed.

While most everyone else focused their attention onto Ylva’s ritual, Lími at last made his way over to Sigrun’s side. The adolescent never grew tired of witnessing all the things Ylva could do, recognizing how the shaman was laying the entirety of her soul to bear for Clan Askr’s new equine allies. Once Ylva finished and the sounds of clapping started coming from the dance floor, a subtly-awestruck Lími quietly announced his presence to Sigrun; “I apologize for not arriving sooner my Jarl, but it appears I came just in time.....”

[Corsair]

The three caribou cows facing Snails were huge! He'd reacted without really thinking... something he should REALLY know better than to do... and now found himself protecting the Princess from three foes that could probably stomp on him! At least Snips had followed him, but still... even with the two of them, they didn't stand much of a chance. Resigned, he focused as much power into his horn as he possibly could, then waited for the attack.

But, the attack never came. In fact, the cows were laughing! What was odd was that it didn't seem like evil laughter. It was loud, certainly, but it sounded... jovial?

When the caribou spoke, Snails eyed them with suspicion. Sure, they sounded friendly enough, but caribou were the ones that had just backed Sombra and attacked the Empire! They were evil! Right??

Snips spoke up, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "The good caribou. Right..."

Snails was grateful for his friend's support, but his certainty was starting to waver. He knew there were good ponies and evil ponies; he'd seen both up close. Could the same be true of the caribou too? The last straw came from Princess Cadance. When she told the caribou about the colts' 'defeat' of Sombra, Snails broke his stare. He turned to Cadance with a bewildered look on his muzzle. If the Princess being friendly to these caribou, then...

The light around Snails' horn fluttered, and with a sound like the air escaping a balloon, the magic faded out completely. He opened his mouth to ask the Princess the truth, but she was walking away! Gulping, he turned back to the caribou. "Err... I... uh..." he said, cleverly.

One of the caribou, a cow with chains and ornaments hanging from her antlers, walked away then, saying something about a gift to the Empire. The two that remained, while both cows, were huge and intimidating.

Snips frowned up at the caribou. He, too, had calmed down a bit. The colt didn't really think that the caribou were evil or anything, but he wasn't quite ready to trust yet. However, when Jarl Sigrun (what kinda title was jarl, anyway?) asked about Sombra, Snips couldn't help but feel a bit of pride. "Hey! We might not be big, tough caribou, but Snails and me helped Princess Cadance kick Sombra's flank! Ain't that right, Snails?!"

Snails drew himself up at that. "Yeah!" he added, drawing from his friend's enthusiasm. "We tricked that hornless weirdo, then beat him good!"

What followed was a heavily edited account of their encounter with King Sombra, with significantly more karate kicks than had actually occurred. The energetic colts finally finished their story, and Snips said to the Jarl, "What do ya think of that??"

Neither colt really noticed the unicorn speaking to the Jarl. Snails noticed him just because the stallion's mane looked rather filly-ish, but they were so wrapped up in their story telling that he dismissed him. Now that he was talking, though, his curiosity started to grow. Looking at Sigrun, he asked, "So, yer like a caribou princess??"

Before the Jarl could answer though, the cow that had moved away before began some kind of song. It was unlike anything either of the colts had heard before. There also seemed to be some kinda of magic around the cow as she sang and moved with the music. She was drumming with her hooves and her antlers while maintaining the odd singing. Snips and Snails didn't know much about music, but they understood showmanship, and the cow's performance was very impressive to both. They drummed their hooves on the ground in applause as the song concluded.

The colts then noticed as another caribou joined then, but this colt... calf? was closer to their own age. After the young bull announced himself to the Jarl, Snips commented, "I guess you're really not here to fight if you're singing songs, and brought kids along..."

[RarityDash]

“Maybe some day we shall weaponize it! With a thunderous sneeze I shall send my enemies flying away from the battlefields and into the sky! My foes shall tremble at the sound of my sniffling!”

"Haha! Isn't that a thought!" Randgrid bellowed with peals of raucous laughter. "Jarl Sigrun, she who's sneeze could mute a lindworm's roar! Surely with that power harnessed, the Red Jarl and the fools who look to him would be cowering in fear for their pathetic lives!"

​

“I hope he is alright… we can’t afford to lose him so soon after he has brokered peace between whitescar and the rest of the world. I’m glad to see his daughter here though, regardless of what circumstances may have pulled you to the empire in such a sad time.”

Randgrid smiled and poked Sigrun with her hoof roughly. "There is no use in worries, good Sigrun! Certainly not when it comes to my father. That is a sturdy bull if ever there was one! It would need to be so. No one lacking in such strength of character could claim the title of High King for himself!" she insisted with fiercely bubbling pride.

"I only mean to say he is likely back in Heil, only now just hearing of what happened here," said Randgrid, nodding. "He will make that snake of a Jarl pay for this, you can mark my words there!"

​

“Yes, we were able to take Cyprianus and his, ‘companions’ into custody. The prisoners were relocated to Canterlot yesterday without incident, and are currently waiting to stand trial for their crimes.”

Randgrid nodded at the pony princess' reassuring words. It was good to hear that the prisoners were still secure and in custody and would be made to answer for what they did. She did not know the extents of the justice system in Equestria, but she could only imagine that it would be long before that wizard was ever allowed to leave whatever dungeon Celestia would prepare for him once he was rightly convicted.

​

“Snips. Tell these two lovely caribou the courageous tale of how you defeated King Sombra, one of the most powerful sorcerers in all of history! Please excuse me,”

The caribou princess was somewhat disappointed to see the alicorn leave them. She had been hoping for a chance to feast and drink and make firm friends with her fellow princess, but alas she supposed this Cadance had other matters she must attend to as she made for her exit, leaving them with the pair of excitable colts.

"It was a pleasure coming to know you, good Cadance! May we again meet and speak some time!" she called out as the pony made her exit

​

"Hey! We might not be big, tough caribou, but Snails and me helped Princess Cadance kick Sombra's flank! Ain't that right, Snails?!"

"Yeah! "We tricked that hornless weirdo, then beat him good!"

"What do ya think of that??"

"So, yer like a caribou princess??"

Randgrid listened to the two young colts with an amusement. They were spirited lads for sure, full of curiosity. She laughed when they arrived at their question for Sigrun. She supposed the Jarl did seem the more stately type for sure.

"Actually, young ones, it is I who is the caribou princess!" she said with a bold and hearty nod, raising her mug high for emphasis. "Good Sigrun here is a Jarl, which is a sort of clan chief. All the caribou of Askr look to her with pride as a leader, but all the good and noble Jarls across Whitescar look to the High-King, my father, for the same!" she explained.

"It sounds to me like you two have quite the courageous spirit burning deep withing you!" she added, nodding in approval. "In Whitescar, that spirit would be nurtured and honed until you became fierce and proud warriors!"

It was about then that Randgrid noticed that Ylva was gone and that she had started to fill the hall with her song. Drumming and throat singing, it was a strange thing for Randgrid in most ways. The songs she was most accustomed to were the joyful yet slurred songs sung by sailors and soldiers in the taverns late at night, with frothing mugs in hoof, and the lively music which filled her father's Great Meal Hall. Randgrid respected how in turn Clan Askr was with its old gods, but she herself had never put much stock in spiritualist or gods. Though well the meaning of the song might have been lost on the cheery cow, it did do her heart well to see the hall filled with music from her homeland, and there certainly was something in Ylva's drumming which inspired.

And as it happened, just as Randgrid noticed the music, she too noticed the approach of a youth named Limi. He was an Aured, the same clan as Randgrid, and she looked at him like she did all Aureds, as kin. He was, for now, the charge of Sigrun, so she was not surprised to see him there. She smiled at the sigh of him and then looked back toward the pair of unicorn colts.

"Speaking of such things, this bright youth called Limi will one day be one of the finest warriors our clan has yet seen!" Randgrid said as she roughly pulled Limi in close to her, showing him off with pride. "He has it in his heart, just waiting to be yanked out."

She smiled a bold smile and forcibly rubbed the calf's head all the while downing another mug of drink. "I only need to convince my good Sigrun to allow me to take him to the Spine of the World Serpent, where we might begin a lindworm hunt and his legend will surely begin to take form!"

​

[Blueblood]

, “Well I don’t see why I couldn’t face you in a race in my personal longboat… We should probably clarify the rules though. Am I allowed to use my longboat to fly over yours and snatch the lead?” She asked, clearly just teasing him. “Really though, I haven’t seen much of Equestrian vessels. It will be nice to see one in action.” The jarl offered a hoof for Blueblood to shake… and then pulled it back to offer the other one when she realized her handkerchief was still on it.

​

The Prince was starting to get a little more comfortable in the conversation again. Now that the subject had gotten off of fighting, to which he could bring nothing but a kind of desperate idiocy, Blueblood felt that he was standing on his 'sea-hooves' again, as it were. "I don't see why not, provided I am allowed to hook your anchor onto my jib-mast and let you tow me to an easy win!" He chuckled, taking the teasing in good spirits, and why not? This wasn't a conversation between a seasoned warrior and a recently reformed coward, but a bit of good-natured joshing between two sailors.

His good spirits even let him overlook the faux pas of offering him a dirty handkerchief! The unicorn simply shook the other hoof. "We'll set a time and place for the matches later."

“That’s actually an interesting question. My species doesn’t have easy access to fruit so we find other sources that offer the same vitamin that prevents scurvy. Things like Fish and mushrooms, those kind of things. Since trade opened up with the other creatures of the world we’ve had easier access to superior sources … though I still am rather fond of the fish.”

"Hmm..." He supposed that made sense. After all, if they couldn't handle the disease, the caribou would all be dead, or at least in no condition to raid anypony. *No such luck for us.* On the other hand, not having the stuff they needed to live might explain why they raided so much. The thoughts began to spark an idea in the stout-befogged brain of Blueblood, glowing like lighthouses struggling to make themselves seen to lost ships. "It's just that, if you were having trouble with that sort of thing, I know several ponies here that could help, you know. Fish is all very well if you're on the coast, but it doesn't travel well inland..."

These thoughts were swallowed up by the mists again as the Prince's attention was distracted by the antics of the two colts in their midst.

"Hey! We might not be big, tough caribou, but Snails and me helped Princess Cadance kick Sombra's flank! Ain't that right, Snails?!"

"Yeah! We tricked that hornless weirdo, then beat him good!"

What do ya think of that??"

​

"It sounds to me like you two have quite the courageous spirit burning deep withing you!" she added, nodding in approval. "In Whitescar, that spirit would be nurtured and honed until you became fierce and proud warriors!"

​

"Thats... certainly... something." Blueblood was not particularly inclined to take the tale at face value. One ought to encourage colts, certainly, but as of right now, the life of a warrior was a particularly unattractive prospect for him, and he wasn't sure what he thought about the idea of being made into one, just because you were clever and lucky in one fight.

It was perhaps unfortunate that this was the mood that the Prince was holding just as Ylva began her... 'performance.' To begin with, the unicorn hardly knew what to make of the music itself. Half the notes were good, though in a language he couldn't make mane or tail of, but those other sounds? Were those even music?

"Er, is your sister having problems with allergies as well?" He asked Sigrun, in a low tone, or at least in a tone that tried to be low. 2 pints of Stalliongrad Stout make quick work of any attempt at subtlety.

But it wasn't just that. He had only partially caught the explanation the shaman gave of what the whole shebang was about, but if he heard it right, it meant that if he, the Prince, had not been as lucky as he was reckless during the battle, he would have been drafted by a bunch of viking gods to do it all over again forever. All things considered, he'd rather go to Tartarus, thank you.

Not to mention that Tucktu would probably have given him a 4F rejection when Quali-whoever brought him there, which would have been embarrassing.

And then he remembered that many ponies had not been so lucky, and that struck a nerve with him. He addressed both Sigrun and Randgrid this time, and didn't even try to lower his voice this time. "You know, after getting attacked by caribou when you're on holiday, just wanting to enjoy yourself; after being forced to fight, and then getting killed, but not even finding peace then, 'cause some other caribou thought you'd make good star-soldiers or something... Well, some of us might call it a bit thick, what?"

Good intentions aside, there was a cultural divide between them, and if there was anypony that could be said to be on the extreme other side from the Viking culture of the caribou, it was Blueblood.

[Dio]

As Ylva stepped off the stage, there was a single griffon waiting to greet her. He was tall and broad, with a regal countenance that spoke volumes about him before he’d even said a single word.

The feathers of his crest were preened to a glistening sheen, coiffed impeccably to outline his raptorian facial features. The royal purple of his panther half was equally well-groomed, each hair seeming to have been placed with microscopic precision. His choice of attire was matched to his natural colors: a platinum single breasted coat over a white silk button up, accented with sapphire blue tie and a lapel pin of the precious stone of the same name.

The griffon clapped a talon politely upon the other which rested upon a cane of mahogany, topped with an onyx orb grasped by silvery metal claws. Tucked under his cane arm was an elegant bouquet of crocus flowers wrapped in purple silk and pinned with an onyx clasp. Despite its understated tone, every bit of the griffon’s choice of dress and trim was a clear mark of wealth and power.

“Lady Ylva of Askr, I presume?” he finally spoke. His Equestrian was precise and well-measured, though the cadence of his speech implied a different native tongue. He offered the bouquet to Ylva and continued. “A marvelous performance, my dear! I am Lev Nobleheart and it does me a great honor to welcome you and your clan to Equestria.”

[Elderflower]

Once Ylva had stepped off of the stage to put away her drum and her shawl, the applause began. Startled, she swung her head around sharply, causing the beads strung across her antlers to rattle cheerfully. At first it was solely Cadance drumming her hooves upon the floor, but soon after most of the party’s attendees were applauding her. At home, in Askr, this ritual was never met with applause. It took the shaman by surprise to have such a thing happen, especially here in the Crystal Empire.

She was humbled, and with her gaze cast downward she nodded graciously towards Princess Cadance before the royal was approached by the hostess Lilac and her dance partner. The Right Hoof of Jarl Sigrun carefully packed away her things and headed back to her sister’s side. It was pure instinct. Any time in her life that Ylva was uncertain or shaken at all she merely had to stand by her sister’s side for all to feel right again. Though it wasn’t uncertainty which guided her tonight, it was a glowing sense of warmth and welcome the likes of which she had never anticipated after all of the pain the Red Jarl had caused. Before she left the dance floor she smiled softly at the unicorn who had helped her and thanked her one last time, letting her know that she would always be a welcome guest of Clan Askr.

Happiness fizzled deep inside the cow, hidden by the guarded expression that Ylva wore so naturally. She was eager to return to the conversation in the banquet to share this new warmth with Sigrun, Randgrid, and...Lími! Lími had joined them as well! It made the shaman positively peachy to see the youth in attendance tonight, as she held a soft place in her heart for the young ward of Askr’s Jarl. She was eager to see how he received the ritual, as it was one he had only seen once before. It had taken some time before he himself had been allowed to observe the ceremony, for he was not born into Clan Askr.

As Ylva drew close to the banquet, something stepped between her and her sister. Or somebird, rather. An extremely luxurious and well-groomed gryphon was, all of a sudden, introducing himself to the shaman. Blinking, she accepted the proffered bouquet, not quite sure what she was to do with it. During all her time spent in Equestria, the caribou had surprisingly never witnessed a bouquet being offered as a gift. She was completely unfamiliar with the gesture; in Whitescar, gifts were always useful things. Bread, salt, wine, a fine cloak - gifts of substance, of food and warmth or of shelter - those were gifts that were offered in her homeland to show friendship. What use, after all, was a flower, unless one were to boil it or make it into medicine?

That was exactly why her first words to this Lev Nobleheart were, “Yes, I am Ylva, High Shaman of Clan Askr and Right Hoof to Jarl Sigrun. Your gift honours me, Lev Nobleheart, and humbles me. Tell me, what medicinal purpose does this flower have in Aquellia? I am not familiar with many plants outside of what we find in Whitescar...I would not know what to do with these…”

Her words trailed off as thoughtfulness crept into her expression. She ran through her many memories from her travels but drew a blank on the flower she held and the purpose it served. During that moment of quiet, however, she heard the pompous unicorn stallion from earlier speaking to her sister not far off. His reaction to her ceremony was more along the lines of what she had expected. In other words: it wasn’t a very positive reaction. Thick, hm?

The shaman bristled, then turned her attention back towards the gryphon.

Once the stage is cleared the band makes its way back to get their instruments set up. There are a few new Equestrian faces to replace many of the crystal ponies and their energy has picked up. A stallion plucking a contrabass gets things started, the tempo upbeat and bumping. The music is modern, the rhythm infectious, and the mood is quickly becoming electric. It would be hard to resist the call of the dance floor now.

​

[Pretzelparty]

[OOC:

will give some perspective on what Ylva's performance sounds like. Please listen! https://lh4.googleus...Bpwkkkz5ZlmJrXI]

Through the crowds gathered around the food and drink of a banquet space, the elevated stage on the dance floor is clearly visible. As the music faded and the band took their leave, clearing space before they did so, it was hard for most eyes to keep away from the platform. Moments ticked away and confusion spread, until a caribou cow in a white shawl stepped up and set a drum in the centre of the stage.

​

“Greetings, my friends,” she said softly, though her voice carried throughout the dance floor and the banquet space, “I am an emissary of the caribou clan Askr. I am the High Shaman Ylva, right hoof of Jarl Sigrun. We came to the Crystal Empire in our longships to help you combat the Red Jarl but arrived too late, and that fact wounds us grievously. But I am not here to apologize tonight. There is little that we of Askr can offer in the wake of this destruction beyond our friendship and our meagre supplies to help you rebuild. There is even less that I can offer beyond this one, simple thing…”

“In Clan Askr, Tuktu, the warrior god of the moon, commands an army of the fallen. Every valiant soul who perishes in battle is called to this army, to fight against the darkness and keep chaos at bay. Their weapons gleam like pinpoints in the night sky, for they are his stars. It is our goddess of the aurora, Qalipu, who carries the souls of the deceased to him within her river of light, and it is the duty of a shaman to guide these souls to her.

This is all that I can offer, and it is the most precious thing I have to give you. This ritual is sacred to my Clan; it has never been witnessed by an outsider, not even our dearest friends and allies in the Whitescar. But times are changing, and if we are to be your friends we should place the same faith in you all that we place in our kin.”

While most everyone else focused their attention onto Ylva’s ritual, Lími at last made his way over to Sigrun’s side. The adolescent never grew tired of witnessing all the things Ylva could do, recognizing how the shaman was laying the entirety of her soul to bear for Clan Askr’s new equine allies. Once Ylva finished and the sounds of clapping started coming from the dance floor, a subtly-awestruck Lími quietly announced his presence to Sigrun; “I apologize for not arriving sooner my Jarl, but it appears I came just in time.....”

The Jarl happily drummed her own hooves on the ground in applause. Her sister’s dance had captivated her as well the rest of those present (some in better ways than others). While Ylva sang and danced her gift to the empire, Sigrun noticed the presence a teenage calf appearing behind her; she could easily guess who it was. Limi was the only younger caribou that Sigrun had considered bringing, there were too reasons she felt it was best to bring him here, One was to see the carnage that his brother had become capable now that he had turned renegade, the other was to introduce him to the ponies of Equestria so he could see that it was best to be allies with the deceptively hardy creatures.

The silver eyed Cow had her worries about bringing the teenage calf here though, she cared greatly for this one and didn't want to risk any harm coming to him. She wasn't sure how the ponies would react if they had found out the kin of the bull who had so thoroughly decimated their kingdom was in there midst. Ylva had assured her that Equestrians were a very forgiving and understand race though and that they wouldn't hold one young pony responsible for something he had no control over... But the Jarl still felt it best to keep the details of Limi's family tree under her helm.

"Limi, I believe we have spoken about this on the ship correct?" The Jarl asked looking sternly at the calf for a moment then softening up with a warm smile at him, "You are allowed to refer to me by my name around our Equine allies. I think Princess Randgrid feels the same way." Casting her eyes back to the two brave colts she gestured towards them, "These two are Snips and Snails, with a good bit of guile they managed to help defeat the tyrant king, Sombra."

​

Snips spoke up, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "The good caribou. Right..."

"Err... I... uh..." he said, cleverly.

"Hey! We might not be big, tough caribou, but Snails and me helped Princess Cadance kick Sombra's flank! Ain't that right, Snails?!"

Snails drew himself up at that. "Yeah!" he added, drawing from his friend's enthusiasm. "We tricked that hornless weirdo, then beat him good!"

"What do ya think of that??"

"So, yer like a caribou princess??"

"I guess you're really not here to fight if you're singing songs, and brought kids along..."

"Actually, young ones, it is I who is the caribou princess!" she said with a bold and hearty nod, raising her mug high for emphasis. "Good Sigrun here is a Jarl, which is a sort of clan chief. All the caribou of Askr look to her with pride as a leader, but all the good and noble Jarls across Whitescar look to the High-King, my father, for the same!" she explained.

"Speaking of such things, this bright youth called Limi will one day be one of the finest warriors our clan has yet seen!" Randgrid said as she roughly pulled Limi in close to her, showing him off with pride. "He has it in his heart, just waiting to be yanked out." She smiled a bold smile and forcibly rubbed the calf's head all the while downing another mug of drink. "I only need to convince my good Sigrun to allow me to take him to the Spine of the World Serpent, where we might begin a lindworm hunt and his legend will surely begin to take form!"

​

The Jarl chuckled softly, "The way those under my banner act around me, they could be forgiven for mistaking me for a princess... but I suppose that name that keeps floating around me might not be helping with that. " When the princess suggested possibly taking Limi to the Serpent's spine to hunt lindwurms, The silver eyed cow sighed and looked to her young ward. "I'm still not sure if Limi is ready for that yet... " She said looking to the calf with a soft smile, "If He wishes to go though I won't stop him... but do not let anything bad happen to him." She gave Randgrid a serious look for a moment before she returned to her more jovial attitude, "I still think I should train him a bit more on how to fight though... I should probably tell him the best way to take down one too..."

The cow blinked a moment and turn away, letting out another sneeze that one could swear made the room shake. With a minor sigh of irritation, she held the hoofkerchief that her sister had given her to her snout. Looking back to the two colt she laughed softly, "Even if we did come to fight, I'm hardly in the state for any combat. You're continents flora and fauna doesn't seem to like me very much." The cow glanced over at randgrid, "But yes, She is indeed our Princess... although from what I hear, Equestrian princesses... well save for that new one don't do as much fighting as we do back in Whitescar."

​

"Er, is your sister having problems with allergies as well?"

"You know, after getting attacked by caribou when you're on holiday, just wanting to enjoy yourself; after being forced to fight, and then getting killed, but not even finding peace then, 'cause some other caribou thought you'd make good star-soldiers or something... Well, some of us might call it a bit thick, what?"

The jarl had to take a deep breath when she heard the 'guard-captain' react to her sister's performance. The two colts seemed to enjoy it, but it looked like this one did not. Sigrun was more than a little miffed, but Ylva had told her that the views of Equestrian's were immensely varied and chances are not everypony would appreciate the dance and song. Sigrun looked to Blueblood, "It is merely a gesture sir... Every member of Caribou society is a warrior ,whether they've ever held a blade or not. Our culture doesn't have any ceremonies to share with ponies that don't involve something that alludes to the hostile way of life we live... we hope to change that one day however."

​

[Bellosh]

 

"Limi, I believe we have spoken about this on the ship correct? You are allowed to refer to me by my name around our Equine allies. I think Princess Randgrid feels the same way."
 
 A tiny hint of a blush manifested on Lími’s cheeks. “O-of course, Sigrun,” the maturing calf courtsied in humbleness; “Please forgive me if I revert back to my old manner of speaking. They do say that old habits die hard, after all.” It had been not very long ago since Jarl Sigrun finally asked her ward to address the cow by her own name. Always one to please, Lími worked hard to fight the impulse to use “my Jarl” in Sigrun’s presence. Even though a part of him felt it improper, the boy cared for the Jarl of Askr too much to refuse her requests, as he knew only too well that Sigun cared deeply for Lími too.
 
"These two are Snips and Snails, with a good bit of guile they managed to help defeat the tyrant king, Sombra."

 

"Speaking of such things, this bright youth called Limi will one day be one of the finest warriors our clan has yet seen! He has it in his heart, just waiting to be yanked out. I only need to convince my good Sigrun to allow me to take him to the Spine of the World Serpent, where we might begin a lindworm hunt and his legend will surely begin to take form!"

 

"I'm still not sure if Limi is ready for that yet... If He wishes to go though I won't stop him... but do not let anything bad happen to him I still think I should train him a bit more on how to fight though... I should probably tell him the best way to take down one too..."

 

All Lími could do to address these young and... odd-looking Equestrian heroes was providing them a small bow of respect. Before the caribou boy knew it, Princess Randgrid entrapped him with a hug worthy of the mightiest of heroes. That is to say, Lími found himself squirming for comfort in Randgrid’s earnest embrace. In the absence of Lími’s half-brother, the Princess of Whitescar effectively served as an avatar of the boy’s blood family, Clan Aured. Or to be more exact, the avatar reminding Lími of the expectations his clan had for him; to one day become a proud and fearsome warrior.

 

In his heart, the young caribou knew he was far from ready to venture into the Spine of the World Serpent. Why, he had only just managed recently to get down the fundamentals of combat, and just barely! By all accounts, the boy remained a mediocre fighter at best. Therefore, Lími didn’t believe himself ready to accompany Randgrid on a hunting trip. All he could imagine himself doing was burdening the Princess, and ultimately letting her down.

 

By the time Lími wormed his way out of Randgrid’s grasp, Sigrun had finished telling how she ought to train the lad further. Thinking quickly, Lími’s voice cracked with nervousness (and maybe a little bit of natural puberty too) as he politely explained; “If... if I may uhhh interject, I believe that it is customary for one not join one of the Great Hunts until they have passed the Will Test. My time to take that test has not yet come.” Lími reasoned this provided a reasonable means to say no to Randgrid’s offer without well, actually having to say “no” to her face.

[Blueblood]

The jarl had to take a deep breath when she heard the 'guard-captain' react to her sister's performance. The two colts seemed to enjoy it, but it looked like this one did not. Sigrun was more than a little miffed, but Ylva had told her that the views of Equestrian's were immensely varied and chances are not everypony would appreciate the dance and song. Sigrun looked to Blueblood, "It is merely a gesture sir... Every member of Caribou society is a warrior ,whether they've ever held a blade or not. Our culture doesn't have any ceremonies to share with ponies that don't involve something that alludes to the hostile way of life we live... we hope to change that one day however."

​

 

The deeply buried and severely atrophied vestiges of good sense in Prince Blueblood's brain, already treading alcohol, could only shout feebly that he was making a bloody fool of himself again.  As usual, the unicorn paid them no mind.  More used to getting its way was his native cowardice, which tended to shy away from confrontation, especially from creatures who stood a head taller than him and had giant weapons they could use well.

 

On the other side was a newfound courage, who got the casting vote with the unshakeable argument, *You agreed to face this caribou in single combat, you idiot.  Why are you afraid of an awkward conversation?*  Well, he didn't have an answer for that, so he sucked in his breath, and began speaking back at Sigrun in that very careful and precise way that betrayed drunkenness better than any slurring.

"Well, you see, that is the thing.  All of you are warriors, but none of us are; even if we wield weapons.  It... is a matter of... the point, you see.  A pony fights... so they won't have to anymore.  You fight... so that you can keep fighting."  He paused, blinking.  Had he actually said something... intelligent?  At any rate, it didn't sound worse aloud than in his head, and that was something.  "I've got that... fair, right?"  His eyes had wandered over to the rest of the caribou party, from Sigrun to Ylva to Randgrid, and resting at last on Limi.  There was something in the young 'bou's eyes that spurred second thoughts behind Blueblood's

 

"Although... I suppose if you would rather not keep on like that, I shouldn't be mad.  I just wish... that we'd had this conversation two..."  He trailed off, staring at the glass still held, wobbling, in his magic aura as if it had been suddenly conjured up.  "...Two and a half pints ago."