[Everfree Forest] Winter Research Expedition [Open]

[RarityDash]

Sierra smirked slightly at the mare's words. She gave a shrug. Totally avoiding any excitement would disappoint her adventuring spirit, even if it would be to her benefit to not come face to face with danger. Any degree of failure might effect her reputation in a bad way, after all. She wasn't really sure what to say if anything on the matter, so she turned to the other point.

"Well, I'm not that far from full maturity and I'm this size," she said in a low, casual voice. "I'm fine with it though. Even if I don't ever get as giant as some of us, I got speed and mobility this way."

The dragon gave a slight nod and continued along with the pony. She noticed the magic Northern Lights was using to keep the magic off of them. Dragon scales were resistant to extreme temperatures, so it wasn't entirely necessary for Sierra's sake as it was the pony's own, but it was still impressive to her. She had always thought unicorn magic was cool, since her days as a hatchling with her friend Hammer Spark watching over her. She smiled a little at those thoughts and continued staring ahead.

"But, anyway, lets cut through the bog then," she said steadily after a moment, cutting back to what the pony had been saying earlier. "You know where we're going. I'll just tag along and make sure we get there in one piece."

[Northern Lights]

Northern Lights seems pretty comfortable with the layout of the forest, at least as far as making it to the edge of the bog is concerned. The winds about them are accented by the occasional howl, which seem to be surrounding the pair from both sides. Luckly, nothing is seen yet through the bare trees and frozen bracken. Checking her compass, the unicorn notes, "I wouldn't worry about the timberwolves. They never go near the bog usually, so once we get there we should be fine." There's a tiny quaver of nervousness in her voice, but she manages to keep it in check.

The snow on the ground makes for slow travel, flattening out the dips and rocks of the woods but replacing them with a soft pathless track. It's quite clear from the empty expanse of snow, few animals are active during this sort of weather. Every few minutes the pony seems to stop, check her bearings, and adjust them. The twisted trees look even more unnerving nude of their leaves, and as they skirt past. Keeping more to the edge of the forest, just barely within the borders, they quickly arrive at the far west edge of the bog. The expanse has been changed from the buzzing, muddy summer look to a vast wasteland of dark ice studded with broken reeds and grasses at the edges. Smiling, the pony nods.

"See? Nice and flat for half the trip to the mountains. And all the swamp predators are safely asleep this time of year!" A sharp howl to the south makes her jump and skitter forward onto the ice. Slipping a little, she frowns. "I probably should have brought cleats, but the ice here is pretty bumpy and dirty, so it's not going to be so slick. And I guess you can just give me a good push and slide me forward."A few more howls override her cheerful banter, and the pony frowns. "Those wolves never venture this near the bog usually. It's too full of mud and gators and monsters and stuff."

[RarityDash]

Sierra looked upward, listening to the howls. She smirked a little making sure she was on guard in case danger should strike

"Sounds pretty close to me," she said, giving a nod. "Wild beasts can't always be predicted. Just because they haven't approached the bod before doesn't mean today won't be the day."

"As for the ice, I'm not sure how stable it will be for me," she said, starting to fly just off the icy bog. "A dragon's body is a lot denser and heavier than a pony. It's not likely to support my every step."

The snow and wind made flight difficult, so Sierra to find particularly solid or raised spots amongst the ice to land atop at regular intervals. All the while, she kept close watch on Northern Lights, making sure each step she made was sound.

[Northern Lights]

The ice seems pretty easy to cross for the pony, barring a little slipping and sliding, but from above one can make out the fish slumbering below it, showing it's not as thick as it might be. The small pony seems resolutely cheerful in the inclimate weather, and pauses in the middle of a vast expanse, a nearby rock making for a decent landing spot. She pulls out a simple and sturdy anemometer, setting it up on a clear patch. The device essentially seems to be a series of cups on a cross, to spin around in the wind and measure it's speed. After all, she is out here for science.

"Just land for a minute!" she shouts up, "I need to check the windspeed here where there's no trees... it'll be better to show how fast it's going near the mountains."

The howling has ceased, though whether that's good or ominous is yet to be seen. It's certainly a very exposed location.

[RarityDash]

Sierra nodded at the request.

"Sure," she said, landing close to Northern Lights atop the rock.

She proceeded to watch as the unicorn retrieved her anemometer and set it up. Sierra didn't know the first thing about science. She had served as a unicorn's assistant, as many young dragons in Equestria do, but Hammer had been a soldier, not a scholar or scientist. Watching Northern Lights, Sierra had little clue what she was doing at first. As she observed, the concept of the device became clear to her. It was interesting to watch it work, but she wouldn't know the first thing about what to do with the data the scientific pony was diligently gathering.

Sierra noticed that the howling of the timberwolves had stopped. That could mean a few things, a number of which weren't particularly good for them. She stopped watching the pony work, to instead focus in on their surroundings.

[Northern Lights]

Just at the edges of vision, motion can be seen in the swirling snow. Surrounding the pair, keeping a cautious but deliberate distance, the scraggly outlines of a timberwolf pack can be seen, their wooden forms greyish and particularly twisted looking and skeletal without even the most cursory of leaves the treelike beasts seem to cry out for. Yellows eyes catch the gloomy winter light, as the whistling wind hides the sound of claws on ice.

The pony is far too involved with her work to pay any attention, desperately trying to record wind velocities on paper that threatens to blow right off her pad.

[RarityDash]

Sierra's eyes went wide as her keen dragon eyes focused in on the forms of a pack of beasts. Timberwolves. Several of them. More than one teen dragon alone could likely handle. They were still at a distance, barely visible through the wintery conditions.

She had to be smart about this. A single mistake here would see both her and Northern Lights dead. For now, she just had to watch them, see what they'd do. Maybe they wouldn't pursue the two of them? Maybe they'd turn back? It wasn't very likely, admittedly, but given the distance between them, doing anything more than waiting at this point would be too hasty. Charging would prove reckless. Running would just ensure they'd be chased. She could grab Northern Lights and take to the skies, but given her smaller size carrying a pony in flight was difficult for her. She doubted the mare would like that option very much either.

Seeing no options, the dragons merely stepped directing in front of Northern Lights, between her and the wolves. Looking back at her, all she could say was, "I would hasten whatever it is you're doing. Things might get dicey pretty soon."

[Northern Lights]

[sORRY! I thought I replied to this ages ago ]

The unicorn looks up with a preoccupied frown, then her eyes open wide. She hastens to take apart the anenometer [who knew that'd be used in the show!?] and shove it into her saddlebags. The timberwolves back away as the dragon lands, but the largest one starts to slowly stalk closer, head down, eerie eyes glowing and cutting through the gloom of the wintery day. There's an ominous creak from the ice below the pair, and the small pony skitters backwards as, one by one, the pack moves out onto the flat surface, cautious, but determined.

"I don't suppose you breathe fire?" gasps the unicorn, her muscles tensing as her body prepares to either dash or fight.

[RarityDash]

Sierra nodded. This pony was smart. She was thinking just the same thing.

"Of course. I am a dragon," Sierra affirmed. Her fire breath wasn't as showy or impressive as some other teen dragons, but it was still a skill shared by all of her kind.

She stared the timberwolf down, waiting until they were all on the ice, growing closer. Tilting her head to the right angle, she then pulled back and shot a small burst of fire directly at the ice at the wolves' feet. She quickly then shot a second blast of fire immediately to the right of that one, creating a bigger hole in the ice. Some of the wolves fell through into the hole she made into the ice. Most saw the fire and bolted away from it.

Sierra stepped forward cautiously, not sure there weren't any wolves who would still attack them. She was ready if they did.

"That should have scared most of them off," Sierra said. "But I'd watch your step. My heat from my fire might have changed some of the terrain."

Looking out into the distance, she nodded. "I wouldn't stay in this spot much longer either. The wolves may get bold and try coming back."

[Northern Lights]

There's a frantic yelping as the ice vanishes, tossing the timberwolves into the water. but the concern about the heat seems to be valid. There's a series of ominous cracking noises across the ice. Pawing at the surface, the filly notices more chunks of ice falling into the growing hole.

"I think I second that motion..." she says, turning on her heels and making a sliding, cantering dash for the nearest part of shore, only shown by the thickening reeds still poking through the grey ice, a series of sharp cracks in the ice hot on her hooves. the heavy equipment bounces in her pack, making her flight even more unstable.

Biting her lip, the pony wonders if her ice and snow abilities would work on breaking pack-ice, but she really doubts she could focus fast enough before any crack catches up to her. Luckly, the worst of them seem focused at the centre, where the struggling action of the timberwolves are kicking the ice around their hole to pieces.

[RarityDash]

The ice began to crack and break beneath their feet, just as Sierra had assumed, if not more. As Northern Lights started to run to safe ground, Sierra took to her wings and flew alongside her.

"Jump on my back if you don't think you'll make it," Sierra suggested, glancing back at the ever growing cracks in the ice that almost seemed to be following the two of them.

She wasn't a large enough dragon to carry a fully grown pony very long, very high or very far, but at the very least, she'd be able to get her to safety. She was sure of that much.