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The Silent Frost - Part 2

I am back once again to post more EDP stuff. This is a continuation of a prior post. If you'd like to give this 'episode' a read, the story continues below the cut. Sorry in advance for any typos or errors.

After seeing the group reunited, Pine steps back outside to give them some space.

“Are you okay?” Clover murmurs, coming up to him with Saber in tow. “We were starting to think something had happened…”

“Well, something did happen,” Gizmo admits with a shrug. Then, he beckons Saber with a hoof. “Speechless with relief, huh?” Saber lowers his head to examine Gizmo, taking in his condition, before touching his forehead with one hoof. “Okay, now I'm starting to think…”

“It’s pretty much exactly what you're imagining,” Ember watches as Saber allows himself to be pulled into a hug with Gizmo by Thrift without a hint of resistance.

“You're kidding.” Gizmo sighs.

“I wish,” Clover says gloomily. “Saber hasn't said a word since he fell in the river.”

“You fell in?” Gizmo glances over at his friend, who simply nods. “Geez, well I’m glad you didn’t become a popsicle like I almost did.”

“Good grief. Don’t tell me you went for a swim, too.” Ember lifts an eyebrow. Thrift sits down close to Gizmo, and Clover follows suit, with a tired looking Saber close behind.

“No, no,” Gizmo coughs into a hoof before continuing. “I got holed up in a cave. Didn’t fall in the river, that’d have been much worse all on my lonesome.”

“They’re both pretty bad…” Clover sighs.

“What the heck happened?” Thrift lowers his voice. “It’s been way longer than ya said! I was scared you’d gotten hurt, or…” Gizmo ruffles his green mane with a gentle hoof.

“Sorry buddy,” He sighs. “I didn’t mean to freak everypony out…”

“Well you definitely did.” Clover says bluntly.

“Did somepony here bail ya out?” Thrift asks closely, stealing a spot under some of the blankets.

“Yup!” Gizmo nods. “The villagers go there to harvest, so I was only in there for a day or so before somepony noticed the cave being blocked and came back with help.” At the unhappy looks on everypony’s faces, Gizmo shrugs sheepishly. “Hey, well, I definitely would’ve made my own way out of there…eventually.” Saber stares at him for a long moment, and despite the current lack of emotion on his face, his thoughts seem pretty clear.

“I’m sorry! Seriously,” Gizmo slumps. “Geez, I can practically hear the lecture in my head.” Saber sits down with a soft sigh, and lowers his gaze to the colorfully-laden floor.

“Well that’s good, because I’m pretty tempted to give it to you for him,” Ember glowers at them. The light from the stove hits her glasses, and set little crystalline sparkles shining beneath her eyes until she turns her head again. “Honestly, do you idiots have a death wish?”

“I know, I know,” Gizmo looks down sheepishly, and curls into the covers again with a sneeze. “Not my brightest moment… but I’ve learned my lesson! So you don’t gotta teach me, professor.”

“Oh really. Why don’t you share it with the class, then?” Ember asks, not convinced. Gizmo lifts a hoof, and sits up a little, in what almost looks like a pledge.

“Number two-hundred and three: Do not go traipsing off into a snowstorm all alone, Gizmo.” He states with a flourish, then coughs, and sinks back into the sheets. “Already noted down, don’t worry.”

“Yeah well, maybe you and Frosty should get it tattooed.” She gives both of them a judgemental look. Saber glances over, but then lies back down with a soft, tired huff. Clover lowers himself to the rug too, right between Saber and Gizmo.

“I’m just glad everypony’s okay.” Clover lowers his head tiredly. “Well… almost everypony…” Everyone looks away, gazes fixed on the floor.

“Woah, woah,” Gizmo’s eyes sparkle a little. “Did I forget to mention why I went in that cave in the first place?” He lowers a hoof into the blankets, and pulls something out of his saddlebags, before showing it to everypony in the circle. “These folks even gave me some seeds, and stuff too.”

“Gladiolus orchioides,” Ember murmurs, eyeing the blue and yellow petal in his hoof.

“Uh…” Thrift lowers his head to observe.

“Foal’s-breath.” Ember explains, and Clover nods, with a relieved expression on his face. Thrift’s confusion doesn’t lift, and she rolls her eyes. “It’s the plant. The one this idiot over here and I were researching?” Thrift stares at her blankly. “The potential cure for Moonshade?”

“OH.” Thrift blushes. “Uh, right, right.” Gizmo grins amusedly at him, and Clover chuckles under his breath, which earns them each a light shove and a glare. Ember shakes her head, but the conversation quickly refocuses.

“So… do you know if it works?” Clover asks.

“Well…” Gizmo trails off, putting the flower back. “I’m not sure.” Saber tilts his head thoughtfully, but his expression is oddly tired.

“What do you mean? The locals must use it,” Ember taps a hoof impatiently. “It’s a cure for the effects of that weird river, isn’t it?”

"It is indeed a cure for silence,” Another pony’s voice breaks into the conversation. Pine Shadows has reentered, and is wandering back over to them. “But the symptoms of the pony Gizmo described are… unusual.”

“Silence…?” Clover echoes, glancing over at Saber. The kirin hybrid looks to be fighting off sleep, much to everyone’s surprise. Gizmo frowns, and floats a blanket over to Clover. The orange unicorn gently drapes it over their tired friend, then returns his worried face back to Pine. “Is that what happened to Saber…?”

“Yes,” Pine looks a little surprised for a moment, and his gaze hovers hesitantly over the sleeping pony for a second, but he continues on without much delay. “The ford was enchanted when this village was founded.”

"The ford…?” Ember’s amber eyes are skeptical as she crosses one hoof over the other. “I didn’t see any runes or other signs of a spell along the river. And besides, the spot he fell in was raging. It was practically rapids.” Pine meets her gaze with a thoughtful frown.

“I see… Some seasons, the river overflows to cover the runestones… And the area affected by them grows, in turn.” He seems to make a mental note. “But the trail you four were on is far from the ford, even then… perhaps a stone was uprooted and washed downriver.”

“That’s not good,” Gizmo coughs. “Where were you guys when he fell in?”

“I’ll mark it on a map for him later,” Ember shakes her head. “First, I want more information.”

“That… is fair.” Pine seems unperturbed by her demands. “Allow me to explain.”

“Hm.” Ember adjusts her glasses as he sits down to further elucidate them.

“As I have told Gizmo,” Pine gives the unicorn a nod. “Being submerged in the Ford of Repose dampens emotions and speech.” Thrift exchanges an uncertain look with Clover, but neither of them interrupt, and Saber’s scarlet gaze watches the leader, fully attentive despite his fatigue. “It may sound strange, but we Kirin have performed this spell for generations. Partaking in a temporary vow of silence is traditional for young kirin before they become adults, and it is a practice some of us use during a change or other turbulent times in our lives. Sometimes a period of reflection is needed, especially when one might otherwise go about setting things on fire…”

“Well,” Ember sighs, looking disappointed. “I’m guessing kirin aren’t regularly getting exhausted or seriously ill doing this, then.” Pine shakes his head apologetically.

“Sometimes, ponies who are accidentally silenced, or forced…” His gaze hovers mysteriously over Saber again for a second. “Do show signs of fatigue. It can also indicate a need for more rest than the pony has been allowing themselves.” Ember gives their tired friend a look that seems to say ‘See?’ but he doesn’t react much. His attention is completely focused on the village elder.

“So Saber’s reaction was normal?” Clover asks. “And the foal’s-breath, that’s what you use to release the spell?”

“Yes,” Pine replies kindly. “I’ve already asked our herbalist to brew some foal’s-breath tea for him. It shouldn’t be much longer.” Clover sighs, relieved, but after a moment, the worry returns to his face.

“...What about Moonshade?” He asks quietly. Gizmo looks over at him with an uneasy expression.

“I… I am not sure what happened to your friend.” Pine admits slowly. “The symptoms may be similar, but I have never seen a kirin react in the way Gizmo described.”

“And it’s not like she took a swim like Frosty,” Ember huffs, exasperated.

“Indeed…” Pine nods. “This is why, in all honesty, I doubt our spell is the cause of her illness.” At the immediate lowering of heads and eyes around him, he continues apologetically. “I am sorry.”

"Well, I haven’t-” Gizmo coughs again, and Thrift gives him a little pat on the back. “Haven’t given up on that train of reasoning yet.” He meets Pine’s gaze determinedly. “Sorry, but I asked around if anypony could get a sample for me, and I haven’t heard anything back…?”

“Hmm…” Pine looks towards the side. “I’m afraid I’ve forbidden anypony from going down to the riverside for the time being.” At this, palpable disappointment filters into the room from Thrift, Clover, and Gizmo, though Saber’s head doesn’t lift from the floor. “When the river is this high and fast, going close is a risk,” Pine explains. “A kirin could cause the ice to melt or break, and cause themselves, or somepony else, to fall.” At this description, both Thrift and Ember glance over at their kirin friend still lying on the floor. However, they don’t get a response. Saber’s chest rises and falls gently, and he lies with his head pressed into the blankets, eyes closed.

For several moments, everypony sits there in silence, taking in the unguarded state of their friend. When Thrift and Ember’s gazes return to the village leader, Gizmo and Clover continue staring, eyes narrowed and eyebrows furrowed respectively. Eventually, Ember breaks the silence with a sigh.

“How much do you need?” She turns to Gizmo, who startles a little at the question. “If the alternative is sitting around and waiting, I’ll do it myself. My hooves aren’t going to set anything on fire.”

“Not much,” Gizmo says quietly, and raises a small vial from somewhere with his magic. The glass container is already filled with a clear liquid. “Just enough to match this.” He explains.

“Got it.” Ember is already standing up to go. “Hey,” her attention shifts to Thrift. “Pack anything that might be useful, short stuff?” He scrambles to his hooves.

“Uh, yeah, I’ve actually got some jars that are temperature and shatter resi-” She cuts him off with a wave of one hoof and an interruption.

“Yeah yeah, you can cut it out with the sales pitch. Let’s go.” With that, Ember ducks out through the door, with the green earth pony close behind. He gives the others a wave goodbye before exiting, which Gizmo and Clover return in kind.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have other things to attend to,” Pine stands, casting a long shadow over the remaining three ponies. “You are welcome to rest here for as long as you need. I expect Fern Song to be done with the tea soon, but if you need anything else before dinner, let me know.”

“...Dinner?” Clover echoes.

“Of course,” Pine looks over with a kind smile. “You all are welcome to dine with myself and my family, if you wish.”

“Oh, thank you.” Clover nods politely. “That’s very kind.” His smile is a little forced, perhaps overshadowed by worry for his friends, but Pine doesn’t seem to notice as he takes his leave.

“Pine’s husband is an amazing cook,” Gizmo whispers to him. “You guys are gonna love it.”

“Yeah.” Clover’s smile weakens, and at the same time, some of the cheeriness in Gizmo’s eyes fades too. He watches Clover lean down towards their resting friend. “Saber…?” He murmurs. Saber doesn’t respond, even when Clover puts a hoof over his forehead to check the temperature.

“Let him sleep,” Gizmo says gently, with a light cough. “The guy could use it.” After a pause, he continues, more quietly. “I’m sure he’ll be fine,” He says. “From what I’ve seen so far, the kirin here know what they’re talking about.”

“Right…” Clover tucks the blanket in around Saber’s hooves and lies down again right between his two friends. “I just…”

“What?” Gizmo’s eyes narrow.

Clover’s voice lowers to a whisper. “Everypony seems friendly, but all of them kept staring at Saber…”

“Staring?” Gizmo tilts his head. “What do you mean?”

“Maybe I’m overthinking it, but it seemed like they… recognized him, almost.” Clover fidgets with his scarf, meeting Gizmo’s thoughtful gaze. “What do you think of them?”

“The entire time I’ve been here, they’ve been nothing but kind to me,” Gizmo looks out towards the entrance. “And they did rescue me from an icy doom, so…” He shakes his head. “I don’t see any reason for them to lie about this stuff, or hide anything.” He frowns.

“Maybe it’s just because he’s part kirin…?” Clover muses.

“If not, we’ll find out.” Gizmo assures him, ruffling his hair. “Don’t worry too much, okay?” Clover gives him a little smile, and seems to genuinely relax.

“It seems like you have a theory about what happened to Moonshade?” He settles into his spot as Gizmo nods. Beside him, Saber makes a soft grumbling sound, and shifts a little closer in his sleep.

“I still think this… silence spell they have here is part of it.” The unicorn admits. “They probably just don’t know because what happened to Mysty is new…”

“New?” Clover tilts his head, but at that moment, somepony knocks a hoof on the stones outside, before entering.

“Hiya!” Gizmo greets her with a grin and then, another round of coughing.

“Oh horseradish,” a familiar greenish kirin comes over with a small teapot and cup hovering beside her. “I meant to bring you some more tea and honey, too.”

“Don’t worry about it, Acorn,” Gizmo assures her as she sets the pot down beside them.

“I will worry about it, so don’t worry-” Acorn cuts herself off with a frown. “What I mean to say is, I’ll get that for you from Fern next, it’s no trouble.”

“Well, in that case, thanks!” Gizmo laughs lightly. “And thank you for the foal’s breath tea. At least, I’m assuming that’s what it is.”

“Yup!” Acorn nods. “And it should work pretty fast, so…” She trails off, staring at Saber’s sleeping form. Something wary fades into her eyes as she does.

“Hey, Acorn?” Gizmo lifts his head toward her. “Do you mind if we ask you a question?”

“No, not at all!” Acorn replies cheerily, and sits down across from them on a sunshine-toned rug.

“Well,” Clover exchanges a look with Gizmo. “When we got here, I noticed everypony kind of… staring at Saber?”

“Oh…” Acorn’s voice lowers, and she looks a little taken aback. “Was I being that obvious?”

“Well…” The corner of Gizmo’s mouth turns up a bit. “Yeah, kinda.”

“So there is something.” Clover meets her gaze, and something sharp pokes through his expression in places.

“It’s nothing serious!” She amends immediately. “It’s well…” Clover and Gizmo eye her impatiently. “Okay, honestly, I really shouldn’t be the one telling you this. I mean, I didn’t even know the guy, I had no idea your friend was…” Acorn’s mouth closes, and she closes her eyes. “Look, this isn’t my story to tell, and especially with him still asleep…” She sighs. “If you all want to know more, ask Pine tonight, or somepony else, like Carnation, or Silver Wind. They’re the ones who would be able to tell you the details, not me.”

“Okay,” Gizmo accepts this, eyes resting on Saber for a long moment before returning to the green kirin before them. “Thanks.”

“Sure,” Acorn nods. “I’m going to go get that tea for you, Gizmo.” Gizmo nods and she disappears at a brisk trot.

“Not exactly an answer.” Clover huffs after she leaves.

“No,” Gizmo admits. “...We’ll see.” At this, the two of them move a little closer towards their sleeping friend, watching over him pensively.

By the time Ember and Thrift return from the river, Gizmo’s cough has been eased somewhat by several cups of honeyed mint tea. Saber is still asleep, leaning slightly against Clover. The ginger unicorn looks somewhat pleased, surrounded by two blanketed ponies close at his side. His eyelids are slightly lowered as the others return, hooves clicking on the stone before being muffled by fabric.

“He hasn’t drank it yet?” Ember walks over, eyeing the teapot and tapping the small, still bone-dry cup near it with a hoof.

“We thought we’d let him sleep,” Clover explains, careful not to move too much. Gizmo stirs from his other side, blinking up at Ember and Thrift eagerly.

“Did you get it?” He asks, eyes bright. Ember, looking amused at the sudden excitement, levitates several small jars out from Thrift’s saddlebags. They circle everyone’s heads in a figure eight before gracefully settling back under Thrift’s large cloak and back where they came from in his pockets. The small green pony looks a little grumpier, and colder than before. He settles his cloak back into place with a small frown, and makes his way through the space.

“I’m sick of bein’ this cold,” He complains. Ember snorts at him as she joins the others.

“It is thanks to your serious overpacking that I was able to gather so many samples,” Ember offers, tone a little less sharp than it could have been.

“Yer welcome,” Thrift lifts his chin with a little huff, and sits down next to the stove.

“Well I’m very grateful,” Gizmo says earnestly. “There’s some tests I want to run when we get back, and having more is always good in my books.”

“Good.” Ember sits down neatly beside them. “You expect the substances to be similar?”

“Yes,” Gizmo lifts an eyebrow at her, unsurprised at the immediate deduction. “That or… well, at this point it’s kind of all just a hypothesis… Once we get home, I can be sure…” For the first time that day, Gizmo’s expression shrinks into something serious, something a lot more worried than he was perhaps letting on.

“Hey, don’t worry,” Clover leans against him a little. “I’m sure by tomorrow, you and Saber will be up to travel.”

“Yup,” Thrift agrees. “And besides, if Moonshade was gettin’ worse, I’d have gotten a message from Rainbow.” Gizmo’s violet eyes warm gratefully, but his shoulders are still tense.

“I’ll feel better once I’ve solved it.” He says quietly.

“If you don’t, I will.” Ember’s tone is impossible to deny, and Gizmo looks up at her with a mixture of amusement and relief. “Now, since we have some time before dinner, you should rest. I'm going to have a look around town.” With that, she stands, and departs from the room, leaving the others to themselves.

“She's right,” Clover says, patting the frowning Gizmo’s back. “You want to be ready to go home tomorrow, right?” He looks over toward the stove, where Thrift is snoring quietly. “See, he's got the right idea.”

“Alright…” Gizmo’s tired eyes meet Clover's as he gives in. “Alright.” Gizmo must have worn himself out with their arrival and conversation, because once he closes his eyes, he falls asleep almost immediately. Clover is left to his own devices, watching over his three sleeping friends.

Or well, two sleeping friends…

“Saber?” Clover whispers. He'd felt a gaze on the back of his head, and when he'd turned to see, sure enough, a pair of scarlet eyes were watching him tiredly. The teacup lies right in front of him, no longer steaming. Saber looks away after Clover’s gaze hovers over it, then him. Clover frowns. “You've been up for a while, haven't you?” In response, Saber nods his head. The cup remains untouched. “That tea is a cure.” Clover's explanation brings no light of recognition or surprise to Saber’s face. “You already knew that…?” The silence serves as an answer. “Then…” Clover hesitates. “Why haven't you taken it?”

The orange unicorn is met with the back of Saber's head instead of an answer. The blue pony turns away, large mane obscuring his face.

“Hhgmm?” Gizmo stirs, blinking, but not fully awake. A pale blue hoof pushes the teacup towards Saber. The kirin hybrid startles, and pushes it back again. The back-and-forth lasts for a while, until Gizmo mumbles something, and falls back into sleep.

“Why don't you want to drink it?” Clover hums softly. It's more of a question to himself, as he knows Saber can't answer, at least not in words. But his friend still turns to face him, at least. Saber’s eyes are oddly muted, and his expression is unreadable.

It wasn't the first time they'd been in this kind of stalemate. And even when it had been a struggle to understand, Clover had always managed to reach him before.

“Does it… feel better, like this?” He begins, hesitantly. Truthfully, he couldn't imagine it did. Saber wasn't an affectionate pony, it was true. But his warmth-his anger, his fierceness, his quiet longing for closeness-was muted. Clover could feel it, even now. Saber shakes his head, gaze clouding. Surrounded by Clover and Gizmo, he isn't as stiff as usual. Instead, he seems almost apathetic. “You aren't going to stay like this on purpose, are you…?” Clover asks, hesitantly. Once again, the silence is enough of an answer.

“You're thinking about it, aren't you…” Clover wants to laugh, to treat it like a joke, but he can't. “Why?” But then, the possibilities begin to come through. “You must think it's better like this, for some reason…” Saber stares at him quietly, and he sighs. “Saber, that's just this stupid spell talking.” He places a hoof over Saber’s, but the other pony pulls away, even going so far to shift away from Gizmo and Clover entirely. The pale blue unicorn still sleeping peacefully next to them grumbles lightly, but doesn't wake up.

“Do you think it's safer this way…?” Clover tilts his head, and a soft sense of bitterness fills his voice. “So what, you'd just rather not feel anything anymore?” Saber frowns, and turns away again, lowering his head petulantly down to his hooves. Clover sighs. “I can't force you to do anything… but this isn't a solution. You know that, right?” Then, he continues on more quietly. “The others won't understand or like this, either.” Maybe if Clover couldn’t convince him, Gizmo or Ember would.

“Are you really okay with not speaking to anypony?” Not speaking to me? He thinks. “Maybe I understand why, even if I think you're wrong…” His voice lowers, and his ears droop. Saber lifts his head, so Clover continues, hoping for an opening. “But it's only been a day, and I miss talking to you already.”

At last, Saber's face appears again. But Clover doesn't see the look of confliction or unease he hopes for. Instead, his friend’s face is just blank.

“Saber…?” He tries. Seeing him like this… muted, not angry, not happy, not sad… “I'm worried.” He says softly. “Are you okay…?” Slowly, Saber's gaze drifts to the floor, and his entire body slumps. He curls up, drawing closer to Gizmo and Clover again. At his touch, Gizmo stretches, and leans up against his shoulder. Saber stares at him quietly, before glancing back over at Clover with what looks like uncertainty. “You don't have to do this.” Clover says gently. This time, when he places a hoof on Saber's back, his silent friend doesn't move away. “If it's really what you want right now, I'll try and understand. But I really don't think it is.”

Saber looks down at his hooves, then meets Clover's eyes. Slowly, a red glow flickers into existence around the teacup. Clover watches as Saber lifts it into the air with his magic, bringing it closer. In a few moments, the empty cup returns to the floor with a soft clink, and Clover sighs with relief.

“You had me worried there,” He admits. Saber's eyes soften a little, but then, his eyelids droop. A few seconds later, he slumps to the floor, and into sleep. With everypony around him snoring softly, Clover can't help but be a little envious. Well, he thinks, a little nap couldn't hurt.

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