It was another beautiful day in Ponyville. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and birds were singing in the trees.

All of this was lost on Twilight Sparkle, who was buried in a pile of books in her new library.

Not literally, although that wasn't out of the question, considering the huge shipment of textbooks on mathematics, history and economics she had just received from Manehattan. Her friends had taken time out of their own busy schedules to help her sort through the piles and piles of tomes, and perhaps liberate a few for their own collections.

"Hey, my Aunt Orange is in this book!" said Applejack proudly, holding up a volume entitled An Economic History of Manehattan. "And some of her ancestors, too. Looks like that branch of the apple tree had its hooves in a whole lotta pies."

"Or orange tarts!" giggled Pinkie Pie, her muzzle buried in a biography of the great clown Ponyacci.

Twilight was lying on her back underneath a bookshelf, using her magic to make a minor repair to one of its joints, with just her rump and hind legs visible to the others. "Thanks so much for helping me sort through these books, girls," she said, her voice muffled by the shelving. "I've got a lot of work to do to make up for what I lost in the old library."

Rainbow Dash laughed as she sorted through a collection of military histories. "Yeah, well, that won't happen again! These walls are rock solid. No monster is gonna blow this place up." She grinned and looked up at the ceiling. "And, uh, no pegasus is gonna come crashing through the roof either. I'd just bounce straight off."

"I think this is a lovely way to spend the day together, girls," said Fluttershy softly. "It's so peaceful. No interruptions."

Just then, the stars on Twilight's flank started flashing and swirling. She jerked suddenly in surprise from the buzzing sensation on her skin, and slammed her head straight into the underside of the bookshelf. "Ow. Horn. Stuck."

Trying not to laugh, Applejack and Rainbow Dash levered the bookshelf off the floor while Rarity used her magic to extract Twilight from her predicament. "Thanks, girls," she said, rubbing her head and smiling ruefully. "So it looks like the map is sending us somewhere, huh?"

"Actually, I think it's just you this time, darling," said Rarity, looking around at the other ponies, none of whose cutie marks were moving.

"Oh." Twilight frowned in disappointment. "Well, I'm sure the map has its reasons. Let's go check it out."

The six friends hurried to the throne room and sat in their respective seats, ready to activate the map's magic. An image of Twilight's cutie mark rose from her flank and circled around the map, then moved north and west, past Vanhoover and over the western sea, to settle on a small group of islands near the coast.

Twilight leaned over the map and peered at her destination. "Hmm. That looks like..."

"Deerheim!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash. "This is gonna be so awesome!"

"Deerheim?" asked Applejack. "Can't say as I've heard of it. What's it like?"

Rainbow Dash leapt into the air and began soaring around the throne room. "It's the land of the reindeer, who are only the bravest, toughest, most awesome race of warriors ever to set hooves on this planet! Well, second bravest, anyway," she amended, alighting next to Fluttershy and putting a front leg around her shoulders. "After us pegasi, of course." Fluttershy squeaked and hid her face behind her mane.

"The reindeer are legendary!" Rainbow continued, flying around and gesticulating wildly with her hooves. "They fight dragons and giant serpents and all kinds of monsters in the frigid northlands. And in the warm months, they set sail in their longships and make terrifying raids on neighbouring realms, like Equestria! They come ashore, scattering ponies in terror, and plunder cities for gold and goods, leaving only death and destruction in their wake!"

"And they capture ponies and take them back to Deerheim as prisoners," added Rarity. "They press strong, rugged stallions into service as farmers and labourers, and keep beautiful young mares as their concubines!" She pressed a hoof to her forehead and swooned against the back of her throne. "So romantic!"

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Girls, you've just described looting, murder, kidnapping, slavery and rape. How is any of that 'awesome' or 'romantic'?"

Rainbow pouted and slumped back onto her throne. "Geez, whatever, Princess Buzzkill."

"You really must expand your literary horizons, dear," Rarity chided Twilight. "I've got some saddle rippers that I think you'll find very enlightening."

Applejack rolled her eyes. "So does anypony know anything real about reindeer, anything that ain't from a two-bit novel?"

Twilight peered at the map, tapping her hoof against her chin. "They do live in Deerheim, that's a fact. They've got a history that stretches back as far as Equestria's, although most of it is oral. I do have a translation of the Cervid Eddas around here somewhere, though, it's in..." She sighed and her shoulders sank. "The old library. Darn it."

"They sound very violent," said Fluttershy. "Why would the map send Twilight there by herself?"

"That's a good question... but I think I know the answer," said Twilight. "Deerheim is a completely separate realm from Equestria, it's not an autonomous vassal like Saddle Arabia or the Crystal Empire. Maybe it's my job to go there as an ambassador. I should let Princess Celestia know about this. Spike!" she called.

"What is it?" grumbled Spike, wandering in from the direction of his bedroom, towing a tiny wagon full of comic books. "You're not the only one with a library to organise, you know."

"Never mind that right now, Spike. I need you to write a letter to Princess Celestia."

Spike's pile of comic books disappeared in a flash, and he produced his quill and scroll eagerly. "Sure thing, Twilight! Your number one assistant is always ready to help."

Twilight smiled and patted Spike on the head. "I know you are. Now… Dear Princess Celestia. As you know, the magical map in my new castle has been sending my friends and me on many adventures, in which we have spread the magic of friendship all over Equestria and to other lands. Today the map has suggested that I travel to Deerheim, alone."

Spike transcribed Twilight's words dutifully, then looked up at Twilight in surprise and concern. "Deerheim? Alone? Isn't that going to be really dangerous?"

Twilight nodded solemnly. "It may be, Spike. And before you ask, I'm not taking you with me. Not when I already know how dangerous it might be. I don't think this will be like Canterlot High." Spike pouted but nodded reluctantly, and Twilight resumed her dictation. "I understand that Deerheim is a foreign realm that is at odds with Equestria in some ways, and therefore wish to consult with you before I go, especially as my actions now reflect on Equestria more than ever. Your faithful... ugh, it's so hard to get used to this part, friend and vassal, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Got all that, Spike?"

Spike finished off the letter and sent it on its way with a burst of his fiery breath. "Done and done! So, uh, when do you leave?"

Twilight shrugged. "I don't want to go until I've heard from Celestia, so it might be a while yet. I guess I can start packing, though." She smiled at Rarity. "I'm so glad you made me that new winter wardrobe, Rarity. I'm going to need it up north."

"I'm just glad you let me design some outfits fit for a princess, darling," replied Rarity. "We can't have you representing Equestria in that shabby old fleece saddle you used to wear. I'll pick out a wardrobe for your trip - and don't worry, I'll include some practical garb in case you need to, ah, climb a glacier or something."

Rarity trotted off to Twilight's dressing room, while the others gathered around and discussed the upcoming trip. Barely a minute later, a loud explosion echoed from the dressing room, and Rarity stalked back into the throne room, her mane in utter disarray and strewn with streamers.

"Oh, yeah, I left one my party cannons in Twilight's winter stuff," said Pinkie Pie brightly. "I remember now!"

Rarity snarled and pounced on Pinkie Pie, although they were both grinning as they tussled. Rainbow Dash was alternating between being excited about Twilight's trip and whining that she didn't get to go along, when a loud burp and a burst of flame heralded Celestia's reply to Twilight's letter.

"That was quick," said Spike, snatching the letter out of the air. "I wonder what she... Twilight! Princess Celestia wants you in Canterlot at once!"

---

Twilight was ushered into Celestia's private study as soon as she arrived at the palace. Celestia was poring over a stack of tomes and a pile of letters, and a map of north-western Equestria was pinned to the wall, with several red markers dotted along the coast.

When the door opened to admit Twilight, Celestia looked up and smiled wearily. "Twilight Sparkle, my faithful friend. I am glad you're here. Equestria has need of your talents once again."

"Is this about Deerheim, your majesty?" asked Twilight.

Celestia nodded. "Let me explain, from the beginning.

"When I was young - when Equestria was young - the reindeer kept to themselves in their frozen islands. A few brave explorers made the journey from Deerheim to the mainland, and we greeted them as honoured guests, and recorded the tales they told of their homeland. It is an inhospitable place, as cold as the land around the Crystal Empire, with very little land for grazing or farming, and it is plagued with monsters worse than Equestria is. The reindeer I met in my youth were brave, hardy folk, well versed in survival and battle. I remember one great hero in particular, who called himself Dragon-Slayer. He lived up to his name on the occasions when diplomacy failed." She frowned as she reminisced on her old friends. "He met an unfortunate end when he took a ring from a dragon's hoard, which inspired unreasoning greed in all who saw it. But that is a story for another day.

"Over the centuries, the reindeer civilization grew. They discovered magic and developed technology that helped them to tame their frigid homeland. They spread all across their islands, and though their lands were harsh, they flourished. They built wonderful ships - small, sturdy craft that could brave the storms and carry the reindeer between their islands at great speed.

"It was these longships that were the birth of our current troubles. The reindeer discovered that they could sail to anywhere they wanted, and nobody could stop them. At first they used their ships to travel the world as traders, carrying goods from Saddle Arabia to Maretonia and from Griffonstone to Monacolt, and returning home with riches and items to help them eke out their fragile lives in Deerheim."

Twilight pursed her lips, guessing where the story was going. "And then one day, they discovered that they didn't need to trade for things they could just take?"

Celestia nodded grimly. "Just so. Not that they stopped trading, mind. But as I said, they are a brave, strong people. The skills and temperament that let them survive in Deerheim had also made them fierce and ruthless warriors, and with their longships, they were unstoppable. Our peaceful communities of farmers and artisans were helpless before their might, and they would strike and disappear before the Royal Guard or even the Wonderbolts could intercept them."

"What about our own navy?" asked Twilight. "Couldn't we fight them on the water?"

"We tried, and we had some victories," said Celestia. "In open naval battle, one of our warships was more than a match for a reindeer raiding party. But their longships are fast and agile, and they possess magic that lets them wield storms as skilfully as any pegasus. We were strong, but our strength only mattered when we could catch them. To protect ourselves from their raids, we would need to station dozens of soldiers in every farm, mine and village along the coast, and we simply don't have the horsepower to do that. We are a peaceable kingdom, and have given up the warlike ways of the pre-classical era, for which I am grateful, but... well, we do our best, and things certainly would be worse without our best efforts at protection. But the awful truth is that the reindeer have plagued our coasts for centuries, and there is very little we can do to stop them."

Twilight nodded solemnly. She stared at the map, and then at the carpet beneath her hooves. "So... how bad are these raids? I know they take our gold and supplies, but... do ponies die?"

"Sometimes. Mostly my subjects know not to value their property over their lives, and the reindeer do not go out of their way to kill them when they can take what they want. But our northern coasts are our furthest frontiers, and many frontier ponies will fight to the death to protect what little they have. The reindeer do not shirk from violence when presented with it. Casualties are not high, but they do occur."

"I understand. And is it true that they take ponies as slaves, to work on their farms?"

Celestia nodded again. "Not often, but yes. With the state of arable land in Deerheim, it should come as no surprise that earth ponies and pegasi are in great demand there. A reindeer who captures pony slaves can look forward to greater wealth and influence from the lands they control. Or they can sell them back to Equestria for ransom. Of course we always pay a generous ransom to repatriate slaves, and of course that only makes the reindeer more willing to take them."

"And… Rarity said… they capture mares to become their... concubines?"

"Not often."

Twilight waited, but that seemed to be all Celestia would say on that subject.

"Now you see why a solution to this problem is long overdue," Celestia continued after a few moments. "All of the envoys I have sent to Deerheim have been rebuffed if not attacked outright. I have travelled there myself several times, usually in the course of buying back captive ponies, but they have proven no more willing to listen to me. But perhaps you can make a difference." She sighed the deep sigh of a pony who had seen too many centuries of suffering and violence. "I dearly hope that you can, for our sake and for theirs."

Something about Celestia's tone worried Twilight. "Why now? What will happen if I fail?"

"War. I have been preparing a plan for the Royal Guard to attack Deerheim in force, to subjugate the entire island chain and impose Equestrian governance on the reindeer."

Twilight's jaw dropped. "That's awful!"

"Indeed it is, Twilight. Hundreds of ponies and reindeer would die, and the reindeer way of life would be stamped out forever. There are good reindeer in Deerheim - I have met them and made sound friends among them. Even the worst of them are not monsters in the vein of King Sombra or Lord Tirek. For centuries I have hoped for a way to get through to them, but every year I delay, more ponies have their homes, freedom or lives taken away by them, and I cannot allow it to continue.

"You are our last, best hope for peace - you, Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship. I hesitated to send you to such a dangerous place, but if the Cutie Map endorses your journey, I believe we must trust its judgement. You will have the full resources of the kingdom at your disposal on your mission, and authority to make whatever bargains and offers you see fit. I will await your report before I make any move against Deerheim, and I will wait as long as I must."

Twilight bowed her head to Celestia, then, seeing how suddenly old and despondent she appeared, threw her front legs around her neck. "I'll make this right, princess," she promised the elder alicorn as she hugged her tightly, and she felt hot tears dripping onto her coat. "This won't end in bloodshed. I'll find a way."

---

Twilight watched the train pull away from the lonely platform on its journey back south into civilized lands. She shivered in trepidation as much as from the cold as she hitched herself to her small wagon, which was laden with food, warm clothing and books for herself, and gold, gems and spices to offer to the reindeer as gifts or trade.

She was dressed in her sturdy winter outfit - a new saddle made of tough leather and lined with thick wool, a fluffy woolen scarf, and well-crafted boots that kept out water and snow. At Princess Celestia's insistence - and Rarity's, of course - her crown sat high on her brow. This was not a mission where modesty would do her any favours. She was representing Equestria, and everyone she met needed to know it.

The train line terminated outside a small mining village on the north-western edge of the continent. The village was built on a line of cliffs overlooking the ocean, which the residents mined for coal and gems. Twilight stopped in the village to make a last-minute top-up of her supplies, then took to the air, her wagon floating behind her as she flew west.

Her map indicated that it was a two hour flight from the coast to the island and village of Shetland, from which she hoped to charter a boat to Deerheim. The deer homeland itself was too distant for her to fly there without rest, and she didn't want to trust her life to luck in finding safe islands or clouds along the way.

A few tiny islands passed beneath her as she flew, and she took a moment to observe the land's stark beauty. Some of them were covered in snow, and the rest were rocky and inhospitable, but here and there, she could see frontier ponies tending crops and herding sheep. She couldn't help but feel admiration for anypony brave enough to eke out a living so far from the company and comforts of civilization.

The air was cold, and her wings felt numb by the time she reached Shetland. She took in the lay of the village as she approached. The shore of the island was rocky and inhospitable, and only a single cove allowed boats to arrive and depart. The village itself was clustered around this cove, and the rest of the island - the parts that were not bare rock - was taken up by grazing sheep and tiny farms. From her vantage point in the sky, Twilight could see several tiny fishing boats dotting the water around the island. A tall tower stood much higher than the little houses that made up the village, overlooking the cove and the sea.

Twilight glided into the main square of the village and touched down, the wheels of her wagon bouncing awkwardly as she skidded to a halt. To her surprise, a white pegasus in Royal Guard armour was standing by the village hall. "Good afternoon, your highness!" he greeted her, saluting smartly.

"Er, hello!" she said, giving him a polite bow. "I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle, but I guess you knew that already. What's your name?"

The pegasus stood at ease, though still alert. "Golden Flight, highness. Welcome to Shetland. May I ask what brings you here?"

Twilight nodded. "It's royal business... I need to get to Deerheim."

Golden Flight drew in a sharp breath. "We're no friends of the reindeer here, your highness. I doubt you'll find anypony who's willing to sail anywhere near Deerheim."

"I know about the raids. I want to bring an end to them, without bloodshed." She took in the guard's reaction, then looked up at the conspicuous watchtower. "Has there been reindeer trouble here?"

Golden Flight nodded solemnly. "Come with me, if you will, princess. There's somepony you should meet." He took to the air and flew above the layer of clouds around the island, waiting for Twilight to follow him. He circled around for a few moments, then approached a large cloud bank, where a white pegasus stallion with blue hair was working, pushing clouds out to the surrounding farms.

They alighted on the cloud bank, and the new pegasus flapped over to greet them. He looked middle-aged, with a world-weary countenance, and he favoured his back right leg as he walked across the clouds. "Good afternoon, stranger" he said briskly, holding out a hoof to her. "Name's Rain-Shepherd. I'm the mayor of this island. What can I do for you?"

Twilight shook the mayor's hoof and gave him a warm smile. "Twilight Sparkle. I'm here on... well... royal business, and Golden Flight said you could tell me about the reindeer situation here in Shetland."

Rain-Shepherd turned his head and spat off the edge of the clouds. "Reindeer. Damned monsters, they are. What do you want with them?"

Twilight did her best to maintain her composure, but she could tell this was a touchy subject for the Shetland ponies. "I, ah... Princess Celestia has tasked me with bringing an end to the raids, so I need to get to Deerheim and talk to their ruler. Do you know how to get there?"

Golden Flight grimaced, and Rain-Shepherd growled under his breath. "Oh, I know how to get to Deerheim. They gave me a first-class voyage there, and I enjoyed their hospitality for months."

Twilight swallowed hard. "They kidnapped you?"

The mayor sighed and folded his legs underneath him, making himself comfortable on the clouds and gesturing for Twilight and Golden Flight to do the same. "Might as well tell you the whole story. We've always had trouble with reindeer here in Shetland, but until last year they only came in parties of three or four, and didn't do any more damage than just looting the farms and the fishing boats. But that was before Blood Eagle got it into his head to make a proper attack on the island."

"Blood Eagle?" asked Twilight, not liking the sound of that name.

"The worst of a bad lot. The meanest, most bloodthirsty savage that ever came out of Deerheim. He came ashore one day last year with twelve other bucks, aiming to take everything in Shetland that wasn't nailed down. We did our best to fight him, but with only one trained soldier in the village, no matter how determined the rest of us were, we didn't stand a chance.

"I led the defence against Blood Eagle, and that's why he took me captive, to teach Shetland a lesson about fighting back. They put me on their longship like so much cargo, along with everything else they stole, and sailed back to Deerheim with me. I was a captive in Blood Eagle's castle for three days before he sold me to a farmer in the northern islands.

"Three months I worked on that farm, pushing clouds and pulling a plough. The doe who bought me wasn't so bad - she never beat me or starved me, and hard work is hard work wherever you are, but she wouldn't let me go. The only thing that kept me hanging on for all that time was knowing that my wife, Thunder-Haze, was waiting for me back in Shetland, and that if I endured everything, one day I'd be back with her.

"After three months, Princess Celestia herself showed up, with a bag of gold for my mistress and a royal carriage to bring me home. I thought I was going to be with Thunder-Haze again." He punched a hole in the cloud with a sharp strike of a hoof. "But Blood Eagle took that away too. Seems she tried to rescue me after Blood Eagle set sail for Deerheim. They killed her and threw her body into the ocean, and didn't even tell me they'd done it." He punched the cloud again, growling. "No wonder - if I'd known, I'd have broken that damned reindeer's neck or died trying."

Twilight sat in silence, listening to the horrid tale. Hearing a pony talking about wanting to kill another person was distressing, but if anypony had the right...

"So that's my story. And you'll not find anypony on Shetland willing to sail anywhere near Deerheim. We all remember that day, and we're not keen to invite a repeat of it."

Twilight nodded slowly, still stunned by what she had heard. "I understand. I wouldn't ask you to do anything to incur the reindeer's wrath. But I... I think I might be able to change things if I could talk to them myself. I'm... pretty good at that sort of thing."

The mayor sighed. "I'll ask the villagers if anypony is willing to take you there, but don't hold your breath. It's a long, dangerous journey, and -"

He was cut off by the pealing of a loud bell from the tower by the cove. The two pegasi jumped up and dived towards the ground. "That's the alarm!" shouted Golden Flight. "Get to the town hall, your highness! You'll be safe there!"

Twilight flew after them, mentally preparing herself for battle. "I'll help you defend the village! What are we up against?"

They landed near the cove, and the mayor began herding ponies towards the town hall. A few were panicking, but most were taking their places in an orderly fashion, bringing their foals and supplies into the hall.

Golden Flight took up a defensive posture on the path leading from the cove to the village, and pointed out to sea. Twilight looked where he indicated, and could barely make out the shape of a ship, with a long deck and a high prow. "Is that...?"

"A reindeer longship, yes. We might be lucky - they might pass us by, or there might only be a few of them... but we need to be prepared for the worst."

"I'll help you fight them, if it comes to a fight," she said grimly. Behind her, a small herd of sturdy farmers had taken up spears and pitchforks, and were forming a defensive line.

Mayor Rain-Shepherd came forward to stand next to Twilight and Golden Flight, carrying a spear of his own. "This might be enough to scare them off," he said, waving a hoof at the ponies behind him. "We aren't as weak as we were once."

The three ponies waited in silence as the longship approached the cove. As it drew closer, Twilight could see that the prow of the longship was carved to resemble the head and neck of a griffon. She heard the mayor give a sharp intake of breath. "No... it can't be..." he muttered.

The ship pulled up at the dock, and a hulking form stepped out, the first reindeer Twilight had ever seen. He was easily as tall as Big Macintosh, with a thick, shaggy brown coat. His body was draped in chain armour that clinked menacingly as he walked, and a pair of throwing axes hung on his flanks from a harness. A much longer axe was slung over his shoulders as he walked menacingly down the pier.

But what struck Twilight more than anything else were the reindeer's antlers. They spread out from his temples in two large branches, each one forking out into six points. They looked blunt, but sturdy enough that she didn't want to be at the wrong end of a charge from them. The points formed a kind of crown around the reindeer's head, as if he were a powerful but brutal king. From the points hung an array of tiny charms or fetishes, similar to some she had seen in Zecora's hut.

The reindeer bellowed loudly as he stepped off the pier and strode confidently up the path to the village. Five more reindeer climbed out of the longship behind him and fell into a menacing formation, pointing their antlers at the ponies.

"My little ponies!" bellowed the lead reindeer, stomping his hoof in the dirt threateningly. "I'm sure you know what happens now. Bring me your gold and goods, or I'll lay waste to this pathetic village!"

In the village, ponies began to scream and panic in earnest.

"It's him! It's Blood Eagle!"

"He's back! Run for your lives! Fly away! Save yourselves!"

"Celestia deliver us from the fury of the reindeer!"

Twilight looked over her shoulder at the villagers, then turned back to the reindeer and stepped forward grimly. "I won't let you harm this village!" she shouted, drawing herself up to her full height and flaring her wings aggressively. "I am here on behalf of Princess Celestia to make peace between your people and mine. No blood will be shed here today. Take me to Deerheim and we can make an accord."

Blood Eagle stared at Twilight incredulously as she made her speech. Then he let out a hearty laugh. "Ponies!" he chuckled, shaking his head dismissively, the charms on his antlers clattering with the motion. "Always thinking you can have peace just for the asking. It seems like you already know me here... oh, I remember now!" He grinned evilly at Rain-Shepherd. "Shouldn't you be pushing clouds and wearing a harness right now? Give me everything I want, or I'll send you to meet your wife."

With that, the reindeer stepped forward, his armour jingling with every swaggering step. He had only taken three steps when his face collided with an invisible barrier that stood between him and Twilight.

Twilight smiled smugly. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, Equestria's Princess of Friendship, and I don't like to brag, but I am very, very good at magic. Now leave this village alone or you're going to regret what happens next."

Rain-Shepherd was quivering with rage, and he levelled his spear at Blood Eagle. "This is your only warning, Blood Eagle. Get back in your boat and leave Shetland forever. Stay and I'll mount your antlers over my door."

Blood Eagle tossed his head contemptuously, ignoring Rain-Shepherd and focusing his gaze on Twilight. "An alicorn princess. And I thought this would be just another boring raid. I'll be drinking mead from your horn this winter, pony!"

With a crazed bellow, he charged up the path, his head lowered as if he intended to impale Twilight on his antlers. Twilight stared at him confidently, her horn glowing as she channelled a bit of extra magic into her shield.

As Blood Eagle collided with Twilight's shield, his antlers flashed a bright orange, and her shield shattered. Twilight stared in disbelief for a split second, until the reindeer carried on with his charge and slammed straight into her. The impact threw her backwards, and she struck the wall of the village hall with brutal force, knocking the wind out of her.

As she slid to the ground and tried to draw breath, Blood Eagle laughed and scraped his hoof against the dirt. "Weren't expecting that, were you, princess?" he gloated. "These villagers know to be afraid of me and my raiders. It's time that you learned the same lesson!" With that, he lowered his head again and charged straight at her.

Acting more by reflex than strategy, Twilight leapt into the air and spread her wings, frantically flapping to gain altitude. She felt a breeze below her as Blood Eagle charged past, then heard a crash and a chorus of screams. She flitted a little higher before she dared to turn and look, but when she did, she saw that the reindeer had broken through the wall of the village hall. He shook his head to clear the rubble that clung to his antlers, and spun around, looking for Twilight.

The villagers were retreating against its back wall, huddling together in fear. The defenders clustered together, brandishing their weapons at Blood Eagle. "You'll never defeat us all!" shouted Rain-Shepherd. "We're stronger than we were!"

"Keep an eye on the other raiders!" yelled Twilight, as she hovered in the sky, watching Blood Eagle. "I'll handle this one!" The other reindeer seemed quite content to watch their leader fighting an alicorn princess, and were making no more hostile moves.

Twilight circled warily around Blood Eagle, wary of what other tricks he might have hiding in his antlers. She charged her horn and fired a stunning blast at him, but he swung his head to intercept the ray, and her magic sank harmlessly into the velvet of his antlers.

In retaliation, Blood Eagle drew a throwing axe from his harness, gripped the handle in his teeth, swung his head and hurled it at Twilight. The axe flew straight and swiftly, and she quickly dipped her wings and ducked out of its path. Looking behind her, she saw a symbol on the axe's haft glowing, and could have sworn that it had curved towards her when she dodged. More reindeer magic? she wondered.

There had to be a way to beat Blood Eagle, she reasoned. She might be able to break through the power of his antlers with sheer overwhelming force of magic... but the effort would weaken her, and the Shetland ponies might be hurt in the crossfire. She had the advantage of flight over him, and she needed to exploit that.

Twilight flew over Blood Eagle's head, firing spells at him experimentally. Each time, he turned his head to catch the beams on his antlers, and he alternated between bellowing in rage and laughing in satisfaction. "Is that all you've got, princess?" he shouted, and flung another axe at her. "Come down here! I'll rip your lungs out!"

As the axe sailed past Twilight's head, she snatched it with her magic, levitating it alongside her body. "Fine!" she retorted, and spread her wings to dive at him, brandishing the axe threateningly. "Let's fight hoof to hoof!"

Blood Eagle stared at Twilight in disbelief, but quickly unslung the long-hafted axe from his back. "You're kidding! You're kidding, right?" He hefted the axe in the crook of his right front leg, preparing to cut Twilight in half when she flew within reach.

Before she reached him, Twilight hurled the axe at him. He reacted quickly, bringing his own weapon up to bat the throwing axe out of the air. He brought it back down to swing at where Twilight should have been, but instead of continuing her dive, Twilight had pulled up into a tight loop. Gritting her teeth against the pain in her wings, she flew behind Blood Eagle, twisted around in the air, and fired a stun ray that struck the reindeer firmly in the rump.

Blood Eagle's legs buckled and he collapsed to the ground, lowing in rage and indignation. Twilight wasted no time in landing behind him and firing spell after spell at him until he passed out.

Twilight folded her wings and panted heavily. "Is everypony okay?" she managed to gasp, as she looked around the village.

Villagers slowly filtered out of the hall, gazing at the unconscious reindeer leader. "You beat him," one of them said, with awe in her voice. "I didn't think anypony could."

"What are we going to do with him?" asked another.

"I'll tell you what we should do," said Rain-Shepherd, walking forward and scooping up Blood Eagle's axe. "Send him back to Deerheim without his antlers."

"No!" shouted Twilight, flaring her wings. "Nopony is cutting anything off anyone. He'll go to Canterlot to stand trial for what he's done. Golden Flight, can you send a message to Canterlot, and then keep Blood Eagle here until an escort can come for him?"

The soldier saluted Twilight sharply. "Yes, your highness! It won't be easy to contain him, but we can do it."

Twilight nodded, looking around the village. "Right. I wish I could do more to keep you safe from these raids, but... well, that's why I need to get to Deerheim. So..." She turned and walked over to the remaining reindeer, who were standing quietly, their weapons still in their harnesses. "Take me to your leader."

One of the reindeer stepped forward and bowed to Twilight. "Jarl Blood Eagle is our leader, your highness," he said respectfully. "Our loyalty is to him and him alone."

Twilight blinked in surprise. "Really? He's the one I need to talk to about stopping the raids?"

The reindeer laughed. "No good talking to him about it - it'll never happen! No, I guess you want King Furrypants for that."

"King Furrypants?"

He nodded. "That's what he calls himself, anyway. But he doesn't tell us what to do." He looked from Twilight to Blood Eagle and back, then shrugged. "We can take you to meet him, sure thing. You ready to leave now?"

"I guess so." She trotted up the path to speak to Rain-Shepherd again. "Will everything be alright here? I can probably get some extra guards to come from Canterlot."

The mayor shook his head. "I think we'll be fine, now that Blood Eagle is out of the way." He bowed his head. "We all owe you a great debt, your highness. Blood Eagle is... a nightmare. I promise I won't harm him, though. I want to see Princess Celestia sentence him for his crimes against our village and who knows how many others."

Twilight shook the mayor's hoof solemnly. "I can't give you back your wife, or the time you spent as their slave, but if my mission is successful, nopony else will suffer the same fate at their hooves."

"Then may a fair wind carry you to Deerheim, and then swiftly and safely home again, Princess Twilight."