Winter Haven IC

"Hm? Oh. Right, sure," he said absentmindedly, searching the stove for useful coal. "There's a servant's quarters behind that door, right?"

"Well then," Flux said as Digitalis left the room, "I suppose that leaves just me and you here keeping things in order."
He tossed a smile at Coin as he returned to the fireplace and cleared a space for the incoming wood to be placed.
"Do help me find some empty books and other papers for kindling if you would. Have to make sure we've got the materials for Doctor creepy song and Professor rough-night when they get back."

"Cold be hand and heart and bone

and cold be sleep under stone

never more to wake on stony bed

never, till the Sun fails and the Moon is dead."

He stopped and looked up at Coin. "Sorry. Just came to me. Seemed appropriate."

No longer forced to keep up his noble demeanor, being accompanied by only one far-from-gentlecoltly stallion, Digitalis blushed openly at Page's insolence. He headed for a door in the back next to the stove and jiggled the handle. The door wasn't locked, but unfortunately for him, it did appear to be very well stuck. "Well, sir, as a matter of fact I do, but- but I really don't think an examination will be necessary. You aren't coughing or sneezing, your eyes are clear, your limbs appear strong, your- ahem..." Now he worked on the door with a little more urgency. "Really, against all odds, considering your... history... it seems to me that you are a very-" He stopped short, briefly glancing back at Page, and cursed internally. He'd talked too much, and the way he now had to end this could only backfire. He spun around and kicked the door open, charging in and shutting the door again, with perhaps more force than necessary. "... healthy stallion." No doubt he'd be kicking himself for this remark long after they finally left the house.

The room he'd so brutishly bashed his way into was, as he expected, a servant's quarters. Though it was getting late, the light reflecting off the snow outside and through the small window was still enough to see by. The room contained a simple bed, a small personal stove, a trunk, locked but almost certainly containing nothing of value, and a large wooden crate designated for firewood. The crate was nowhere near full, but contained enough wood, Digitalis surmised, to keep a small fire going for several hours. "Thank you for your contribution to our fuel stores, Mr. Turner, just take that back to the study!" the good doctor called through the door, tugging on the lock to the trunk, "The owners put a lock on their firewood for some reason; I may be a while getting back!" he lied. With any luck, the rather forward green-eyed stallion would go elsewhere.

Chiselle returned to the study and saw that the fire still wasn't lit. The small mare decided to take her things and moved them next to the chess board. She carefully pulled the pieces off of the board and put them into a drawer in the table where they belonged. "Well, I guess since we're all stuck here," she started, "I can tell you ponies another ghost story." She took out a jug of water, took a drink and placed it on the table.

"A long time ago, back when ponies were settling this land, there was a wagon train of settlers trying to make their way over the mountains to get to the plains. It was a cold and dark winter, much like the winter the three tribes suffered through before they founded Equestria. The paths were parlous, not only was it hard to see, but ice covered the narrow mountain path, so every step had to count, or else they could slip on the ice and fall to their death. This wagon train was making their way on the mountain path, a husband was pulling a wagon full of supplies for his family, while his wife pulled another wagon with their children. That night, the ice and snow was so heavy that they could barely see where they were going, she took a mis-step and her entire wagon, including herself went tumbling down the mountain. All the ponies perished and the father never forgot the loss of his family.

Years later, ponies who would travel the path started seeing a pony in a white gown, she had a faint light around her and it seem like she was looking for something. Every time ponies tried to get close to her, she'd disappear before their very eyes. Other ponies who encounter this strange mare would get asked to help her find her foals, of course they never find another living soul. On some night, you can hear what sounds like a mother whaling and crying over the lost of her children. Today, no pony knows where that path is, since it's been long abandoned. However, they claim that you can still hear the crying and whaling, and sometimes, you can see a white light in the trees."

"I found some pots and pans, but that's about it."

"The doctor was busy with the stove and I didn't want to get in his way. It'd be pretty impractical for two ponies to try to occupy the same space at the same time."