Per Mare, Per Equestria

I slowly made my way through the fortress, watching as any remaining Griffons were rounded up by members of the Everfree Hussars, making sure that none were treated with any undue aggression. A lot of the ponies looked like they had escaped from injury as they trotted past me, but other bore scars of the recent combat, both on their armour and on their bodies. More still were outside the fort being patched up or having ruined limbs stripped from their bodies. There would be a lot of soldiers being sent home today, be it by medical discharge or in a body bag.

Eventually I reached the centre of the camp, watching as various buildings were checked, and then double checked as clear, before being used as makeshift barracks, hospitals and other such buildings, before heading towards a large tent, three banners flying outside it, one depicting the simple H over a 7 of the Hoofington Line Regiments seventh Regiment, one depicting a stylised diamond of the second regiment of the Everfree Hussars, and the final one depicting a dented shield, a roaring dragon coiled up inside, the iconography of Brigadier Drake Brigade.

Walking towards the entrance, the two earth ponies outside lowered their spears, blocking the way as they looked at me.

“The command tent is off limits to all those who are not on the commander staff of one of the regiments here today, sir,” one of them said, his voice level and calm.

“I understand your orders, but I need to speak to speak to somebody in charge,” I replied with a small smile. “As a liaison of Princess Luna’s, I believe that I will be allowed to sit in on this meeting.”

“One moment please, sir, I will just go and…” the second pony began, before being cut off by a soft, female voice.

“That will not be necessary Private Glimmer, the Major speaks the truth about being the liaison of the High General, please let him through.”

The two guards nodded instantly, moving their spears aside and allowing me to follow Forestia inside. The tent was nothing special, a single room with a series of scrolls and maps laid out on a table, around which were various ponies from the different armies that had taken part in the assault on the fortress.

“If sources are to be believed, we have you to thank for the timely opening of the gate.” Forestia looked at Lieutenant-Colonel Swift Heart and Brigadier Drake as she spoke, a faint smile playing across her lips.

“It wasn’t just me, I had good people watching my back. I know for a fact I would be dead right now if it wasn’t for them.”

“Modest and deadly?” She asked, raising an eyebrow. “A rare quality to be sure. To business, Swift Heart, if you would?”

“Thank you, Lady Forestia,” Swift Heart nodded. “Reports are yet to come in about our losses, but we can assume that they have been high, especially amongst my own Regiment. By all reports the smallest loses are within our light attachment under the command of Brigadier Drake and Major Wood, who’s involvement in the success of this mission cannot be overlooked.”

“Aye. I guess that is true,” Drake said, before moving towards the table I had seen earlier and placing a map upon it. “Unfortunately I don’t think that it is necessarily a good thing that we took this fortress.”

Forestia and Swift Heart moved towards the map, and I took this as a cue to do the same, moving up beside the two ponies. The map itself was fairly basic, showing the topography of the surrounding area in great detail. In one far corner, a solid red line snaked around a part of the map, cutting it off from the remainder, and simply ladled EQUESTRIA. Further across the map, and in the area that I assumed we were in was another set of bold writing, this one reading GRYPHOMRY.

“So we are here.” Forestia started, pulling out a small black stone pony and placing it in the map just to the south west of the Equestrian boarder. “And the Griffon city of Harrongraäd is here, making this fort an ideal staging ground for an attack on the city, something we haven’t had in years. I fail to see how this is a bad position.” She continued, placing a stone Griffon on the map about ten miles away from our current position, next to what I assumed was an ocean.

“Because of this,” Drake began placing his a few markers around stone pony, forming corridor between us and Harrongraäd, meaning the only way to get to the city was to run a gauntlet. “A Pegasus scout from the Cloudsdale Rangers just brought this in now that Griffon air superiority has been broken. Four forts, two on either side of the main road to the city.”

“What are the concentrations of troops in each position?” I asked, drawing a sceptical look from Drake, before he consulted a scroll and looked back up.

“Exact figures are yet to be confirmed, but it is believed that each position is a semi-permanent fortress, housing between five hundred and two thousand Minotaur warriors.”

“Minotaur’s?” Swift Heart cut in. “Blast, I thought they were still tied up at their boarder and the Rein river.”

“Clearly more Minotaur’s have been called from the homeland than we previously thought,” Drake scowled.

“And Minotaur ships have always been faster than ours,” Forestia continued. “It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that they managed to avoid our fleet and get here, we haven’t been able to lock down all the skies yet.”

“It gets worse,” Drake sighed, pointing to the fort closest to us. “The scouts laid eyes on Chieftain Scrall at this fort, from the looks of things he is commanding that garrison, and potentially coordinating the rest of the forts as well.”

“Skrall?” I asked.

“A Minotaur chieftain wanted on charges of war-crimes against Equestria.” Drake growled. “He led the attack on my lands, blew through us and marched straight into Stalliongrad. Fucking bastard.”

“Drake,” Forestia cut in, taking on a stern tone. “I would kindly ask that you do not use such crass language in my presence.” She turned back to the map and began to look over it again. “Do we know how many troops are garrisoned in Harrongraäd, Drake?”

“No, the city airspace is still commanded by the Griffons. We estimate from supplies going to and from the city though that there is at the very least a garrison of five thousand. Could be more if they are on strict rationing and if they are getting help from the Minotaur fleet.”

“We can make few plans without getting a better view of our own situation,” Swift Heart turned to face Forestia. “Go and find out how many of your own regiment survived, you too Drake. Matthew, please find out how many prisoners were taken during the battle, and see to it that they are treated well.”

“Yes sir,” I nodded, saluting before following after Drake and Forestia as the pair trotted off towards where their own men were garrisoned.

***

I made my way back towards the tent, ignoring the looks I was getting from different ponies, before finally getting back into the tent.

“Ah, finally,” Forestia was the first to speak as I entered, looking across at me. “So nice of you to rejoin us.”

“I’m sorry, ma’am” I apologised. “Getting an accurate figure wasn’t easy, nor was ensuring their conditions, but it’s done. We took four hundred and sixty two prisoners, the majority of them were taken by the Hoofington Line regiment. I have made sure that those watching over them know that they are to be treated properly, just in case.”

“Good,” Swift Heart nodded. “Forestia, how many ponies are left in your regiment?”

“Two thousand nine hundred and three are ready to march, and five hundred and two will most likely recover, while six hundred and two won’t be recovering. One thousand and five have been laid to grass,” she answered, consulting a scroll that hovered before her, held in an identical glow to the one around her horn.

“We lost two hundred and ninety eight ponies,” Drake admitted. “Seven won’t be recovering, twenty may fight again, and one hundred and seventy five are ready now, including all those under Major Wood’s command.”

“My regiment did not take quite as severe casualties,” Swift Heart nodded. “Four thousand and seventy are still ready to fight.”

“So we have seven thousand one hundred and forty eight who could keep going,” I took a moment to double check my math, before nodding. “Yeah, I’m sure that’s right. It’s not enough.”

“You underestimate the power of Equestrian soldiers,” Swift Heart retorted. “You are still new here Major Wood, you do not know the tenacity of ponies.”

“No really, it’s not enough,” I shook my head, pointing at the map. “We started with just over ten thousand men…”

“Ponies,” Drake cut in.”

“We started with just over ten thousand ponies,” I repeated, perhaps putting a bit too much sarcasm onto the word, before continuing. “In one battle we lost three and a half thousand ponies, and to get to Harrongraäd we have four more potential battles, plus the one to take the city itself. Now I may be new here, but unless Minotaur’s put up a lot less fight than Griffons, we can’t afford to lose that many at each battle, we will bleed ourselves dry before we hit the third fort, and we’ll all be dead long before we get within sight of the city.”

The tent was silent for a few moments, before the silence turned to begrudging murmurs of approval. Swift Heart was the first to speak, looking between myself, Drake and Forestia.

“You may have a point Matthew, but equally well we need to take this city, we need a big victory, and this is the best opportunity we have had for years. Do you know the last time we had a tangible victory? Two years ago when we finally pushed the Minotaur’s out of Stalliongrad. It’s been even longer since we’ve had a victory where we didn’t lose more far more than our enemies. The truth is Equestria is by far the largest land mass on the planet, we outnumber the Griffons and the Minotaur’s armies by hundreds of thousands of soliders, but we can’t hold swords or spears like they can, we’re not as strong as the Minotaur’s and only a third of our army is airborne, unlike the Griffons. Now do you see why we need to press any potential advantage, no matter how slim our chances of victory?”

“What do you suggest then?” I sighed. “Because we can’t go forward and we can’t go back. The only thing I can see is us waiting here, taking the time to rebuild defences and sending small attacks against the Minotaur forts.”

“For how long? Celestia is expecting the city to fall by next spring.” Forestia countered.

“I sincerely doubt that that will happen. Regardless though, we need reinforcements.” I said, standing up straight.

“The sixth regiment of my Legion may have finished their tour on the front line,” Swift Heart didn’t sound wholly convinced by this. “Perhaps High General Luna will release them into my command.”

“All members of my Legion are spoken for,” Forestia sighed. “I doubt my mother will allow for the reserves from the first regiment to be brought up either. That just leaves you Drake.”

“Most of the Highlanders are still on the Minotaur border, there are some reserves held back in our forward command base, but they are only battalion strength and they still need a commanding officer. All my first choices for that position are dead or injured.”

“Battalions are commanded by Majors, are they not?” Forestia asked, cocking her head and turning to look at Swift Heart.

“Yes, they are,” Swift Heart nodded, a small smile playing across his lips. “Would you not concur, Drake?”

“Oh no, no, I won’t allow it,” Drake glared at Swift Heart.

“We need reinforcements, you can get us five hundred ponies, all that stands in our way is finding a commanding officer that you have vetted and approved.”

“I would kind of like a say in…” I began, before Drake cut me off, slamming his hooves on the table as he glowered at Swift Heart. To his credit the smaller unicorn barely so much as flinched as the muscular earth pony bore down on him.

“He is not from my land!”

“Drake, I…”

“No buts! It is my batallion and I will have one of my ponies in charge of it, not a…”

“Brigadier Drake, you will contain yourself or you will be removed from my command tent,” Swift Heart didn’t raise his voice, but his tone had suddenly turned harder than steel. “That is an order. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Lieutenant-Colonel,” Drake nodded, moving backwards and looking down at his hooves.

“Now, will you accept Major Wood as a viable candidate for command of the reserve battalion?”

“Yes, Lieutenant-Colonel.”

“Good, now all that remains is for High General Luna to accept him as well,” Swift Heart turned to face me. “Major Wood, as you no doubt picked up from that I would like you to return to our forward command base on a twofold mission. First, you are to inquire about the whereabouts of the sixth Legion of the Hoofington Line Regiments, and any other units that are currently unaccounted for. Second, you are to appeal to High General Luna to place you in command of the reserve battalion of the Highlanders that Brigadier Drake spoke of.”

“Do I get a say in this?”

“You do, but I would urge you to agree with me. You said yourself, we can go neither forward or backwards at our current strength. The only hope we have of success is for reinforcements. Every pony counts Major, surely as a soldier you understand this?”

“Yes, sir, but what I don’t understand is why you have decided that I should be in command of a battalion, especially since Brigadier Drake is against the idea.”

“Because you are responsible for the fortress being taken with as few casualties as we took, under any other commander we would have lost far more ponies. If you can do that little with a squad, imagine what you will do with a battalion.”

I sighed as I looked at him again, trying to make out any sign of deceit in his face, before nodding. “When do I leave, sir?”

“As soon as you are able,” Swift Heart turned and walked towards a small desk, grabbing a quill in his magic and beginning to write. “I will send word of your arrival ahead of you with a Pegasus messenger, meanwhile I suggest that you and your squad rest up and make ready to march. I do not believe I have to impress upon you that speed is very much of the essence here.”

“No, sir, you do not,” I shook my head. “Will that be all?”

“Yes, Major. You are dismissed.”

“Thank you, sir,” I quickly saluted, before ducking out of the tent, heading towards where the surviving members if the Highlanders were quartered. It didn’t take me long to reach the tent where my squad was resting up.

“Major, nice of you to finally join us,” Firefly didn’t look up from where he was sharpening his sword. “And I allowed to know what you were speaking to higher command about?”

“You can,” I nodded, sitting down on one of the free bunk and pulling my rifle from my back. “We’re leaving the column, heading back to the forward command base to bring back as many reinforcements as we can muster.”

“There’s something else though, isn’t there?” Nara asked.

“There might well be, but that is still up in the air,” I shook my head. “For now, get some food in you and get some rest, we leave at first light tomorrow.”

“Yes sir,” came the multitude of voices from the tent, before they each went back to what they had been doing before, while I let out a groan, tugging my armour off, examining the damage done to my body beneath.

The point where the crossbow bolt was still oozing blood, but it looked mostly superficial, and I was confident that it would heal given a few days. The bruises that were already forming were more of a concern, but again, they would all heal eventually.

Satisfied that I had no serious injuries from the fight, I picked up my armour and undid the front plate carrying section and removed the ceramic plate from within. The plate slid out, or more accurately, half of it did, coming out covered in cracks, which spread out from a single epicentre like a spider’s web. I wondered for a moment why something designed to stop bullets had been penetrated by a simple crossbow, before shrugging. I didn’t know much about the armour, just that it had protected me this time like it always had, the only difference now being I couldn’t requisition a new set.

Reaching into the pocket again, I fished out the remaining parts of the broken armour, before resealing the pocket and placing the armour to my side, slipping the remains of the plate into a pouch on my assault vest, before making a mental note to talk to Luna about getting some new armour. If I was going to be doing more fighting, there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to need it.