The summer air wafting in from outside was intoxicating to the Stallions and Mares who knelt in silent vigil within the Cathedral of the Moon. The soon to be Knights of Luna were completely naked before the altar depicting a life sized statue of the Princess, carved with loving detail out of a single piece of onyx by the Houses finest craftsmen.

Among them was a black stallion, Armored Mane, ripe for the Knighthood and devoted to the Princess. He kept utterly still his head bowed in prayer like his fellows. When night fell and the full moon rose he and his fellows would at last take their vows and be sworn Knights of Luna. The sword of the Princess of the Night, and doom to all who would deny the power of House Moon and Stars.

Celestia's sun took its sweet time however in setting, drifting lazily down to the horizon in a process that took hours. It would drive anyone mad but the prospective knights refused to move, denying themselves the right to stretch or try to make themselves more comfortable. Such was the discipline drilled into them by their instructors.

At last the light of the sun bide farewell to them and vanished beyond the horizon. Luna's moon at last rose up into the sky, bathing the world in its soothing light. The time was nigh.

An old priest bid them all rise as several full Knights of Luna entered the hall in full battle regalia. One by one he called them up to the altar and one of the Knights would place his sword on the hopefuls shoulders, each in turn as the vows were sworn. One by one the ranks of Luna's devoted Knights grew.

The excitement in Armored Mane's Heart was almost enough to make him jump. He all but skipped up the steps to the altar when his name was called. He bowed his head in reverence to the statue as a Knight placed the flat of his blade on his haunches.

"Armored Mane," the priest intoned. "Do you swear to serve and defend the Royal House of Equestria, until you are released of service or death take you?"

"I do swear."

"Do you swear to protect the glory that Princess Luna has given to us and now bestows upon you?" The priest asked as the blade was moved to his other haunch.

"I do swear."

"Will you defend House Moon and Stars against all threats and foes, foreign and domestic?" The priest asked as the blade was moved to Armored Mane's brow.

"I do swear."

"Then rise," the priest commanded as the blade was lifted away. "Sir Armored Mane, Knight of Princess Luna."

As Armored Mane rose to his full height martial pride filled him. What foe could contend with House Moon and Stars with Knights such as himself at its call? The heathen Cult of Laughter? The savages of Everfree? The Heretics of Stormwing? The Traitors of Whitegold? Certainly not the simpletons of Earthborn! None could threaten or challenge the might of Moon and Stars!

MLP:ED

The smell of animal and human dung, roasting meat, and fresh cut timber filled the massive camp that had gathered about Odin's Fortress. Tens of thousands of Menn, Dökkálfar, Sindarla, Caladria, and Avariel had gathered about the tower, more people then most had likely thought lived in the world. Children ran or flew around the camp sites laughing and playing while their parents worked the tasks assigned to them. Ardon had to raise a hand over his face to keep from being overwhelmed by the confused mass of smells.

It had been two months since King Rheagastar had been crowned and summer had at last come to the frigged lands of the Nor Menn. The raiding parties from far a field had returned with plunder, goods, and more importantly ships and soldiers. The massive fleet now lined up along the beach was easily more than four hundred strong in terms of long ships, over eighty large Dökkálfar hawk ships, and over fifty of the might Dragonturtle war machines. Still more ships would be needed for the exodus, hundreds more, massive ships which the King had ordered his people to build while he and his council of advisers debate within the Fortress on how to go about the task of moving over three hundred thousand people across the sea and invade a a foreign land.

In the more than a thousand years of banishment the Nor Menn had never dared to go anywhere near the lands of Equestria. Any maps they had were centuries out of date and far to delicate. Their one saving grace has a map stolen from a Zebra tribe during a raid far to the west that was only twenty years old. It was written in Zebrican however meaning that translating the script was difficult. It wasn't great intelligence but it was better than sailing blind.

Things weren't prefect however, there had been more than few fights between clans. Some of these had turned lethal. A few had refused to acknowledge Rheagastar as their king or had refused to consider a mission they considered suicide. The King had been busy enforcing order upon his rowdy people bringing the rebels to kneel and the criminals to justice. They also had to wait some time for the whole of their people to gather, hundreds of Wanderers, isolated clans, and Sindarla and Avariel groups who had to be mustered. They also had to feed and organize all of the people towards this new en devour.

Ardon, like other Wanderers who had come, had aided in these efforts anyway they could. He hunted game as the loggers cleared the forest about the Fortress of Odin for miles. He tracked down far off clans and brought them to the rest of the people. With the coming of summer the forests were marginally safer, the Windingos retreated farther north when summer came even if there was still snow on the ground in places.

As he slipped through the crowds towards the Fortress of Odin he bowed his head in respect to the Champions of Ragnarok who were marching in among the clans with their axes in hand. He had been summoned by the King to present himself, for a reason he did not know. The Huskrals at the gate, who bore the Kings crowned dragon heraldry on their shields let him through after quick check to ensure he had no concealed weapons.

The King did not have full run of the Fortress, it was still sacred ground and mostly run by the War Priests, Valkyr, and Champions of Ragnarok. The King held council in Odin's light house in a high chamber that over looked the sea. The Huskrals at the door let him through and he slowly ascended the seven hundred seventy seven steps to the Kings Chamber.

The King was as usual at council. A long table had been prepared for him with a heavy marble throne at its head for him to sit. The throne itself was jagged like ice sickles, and thus called the Frozen Throne. The King of course sat upon his throne while at his right sat his son, Prince Jonn Snowdragon who sat across from his cousin Jarl Robvin Krast. The prince looked much less like his father than one might think, for her was dark haired and had gray eyes. Like his father the king he was handsome and noble in bearing, the sort one expected to be king. Seated next to the Prince was Jarl Hammerhelm who still looked rather cross at having lost out on the Kingship. Across from him was the dour Jarl Stannith Furysheart, Lord Admiral of the Fleet. Many others were present, almost all of whom Ardon had watched compete for the Kingship. It said something that the King could unit such disparate men and women to his banner.

Ardon bowed low as the King looked up at him.

"Your grace," he said.

"You may rise wanderer," the King said before motioning to a chair. "Please sit a rest your weary feet."

Ardon nodded and took the empty seat but remained respectfully silent. The King watched him as did the others of the council, Ardon felt slightly uncomfortable and shifted to try and rectify the issue but it was no good.

"I have heard tell of your actions from Chieftain Strenn," the King began. "He tells me that you dared the wilds and colds of winter to seek his missing men. That you faced down the horrors that threatened us with a young woman in tow."

"Faced down is generous your grace," he replied. "I would have died then and there had the Chieftain's men not come to my aid."

"Regardless you showed great daring and courage," the King replied. "Tell me how many seasons have you raided?"

"A half dozen your grace," he replied. "I failed to find a crew this season."

"And I trust you conducted yourself with great skill and courage," the King asked?

"As much as I could your grace," Ardon answered. "Forgive your grace but is there a purpose to these questions?"

"There is indeed," the King replied. "I aim to name you as Chief Scout of my army."

Ardon blinked for a moment his mouth opening and closing a time or two as he tried and failed to speak. He? Chief Scout?

"My grace I am not worthy," he said and he meant it.

"Nonsense," the King replied with a wave of his hand. "I need warriors like you if I am to save our people. You have skills, experience, and the courage we need to overcome the challenges that we shall no doubt face."

Before Ardon could respond the King looked back down at the table. Spread across it was the Zebra map with several figurines of wood set upon it.

"Now," the King said as though Ardon had always been part of the conversation. "According to our information Equestria is no longer a united nation. A civil war exists with five groups battling for control of the land."

"All the better," Jarl Krast commented. "They'll be weaker and won't be able to bring their full strength against us."

"All the same," Jarl Stannith replied. "They'll likely be battle hardened and experienced. If we cannot gain a strong foothold we will be driven into the sea in three months."

"Which is why we must chose our landing site well," the King continued. "We will need a suitable site, likely one of the Ponies own cities. We drive them out and take it for ourselves."

"I repeat your grace," Hammerhelm growled. "We should strike at this... what is it called again? Manhappen?"

"Manehattan," the Prince corrected in a low voice.

"Right," Hammerhelm said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "The city is wealthy from the reports, a perfect staging area for our invasion."

"Manehattan is reported to be a fortress," Krast countered. "We might waste all our strength trying to take it and doom our people."

"When have walls stopped us?" Hammerhelm replied. "We'll go over, under, or through them and sack the city."

"Let us tell our new Chief scout about all of the landing sights that Jarl Heartsfury has proposed and hear his wisdom before deciding," the King replied. "Make no mistake Jarl Hammerhelm Manehattan will fall to us but only when I will it."

Hammerhelm scowled but sat back in his chair. Ardon stood up to get a better view of the map as Jarl Heartsfury pick up a rod and pointed to the first and farthest south.

"This is Colterado," the Jarl explained. "It is under the control of House Earthborn. Our information tells us that the city has an excellent harbor, considerable fortifications, and a large army present. That said it is well positioned on major trade lanes and from it we can attack much of Equestria by sea."

Ardon nodded as the Jarl moved the pointer up the coast to another city with a diamond marker on it.

"This is Manehattan," the Jarl continued. "As Jarl Hammerhelm has told us the city is wealthy and well situated but also heavily defended. Capturing it would utterly destroy one of the main houses of Equestria. The risks are great but so are the rewards."

The pointer moved further up the coast to another city with a star and moon marker over it.

"This is Struttgart," the Jarl explained. "One of another of the main houses main trading cities. It is a center for research from what we have heard, strong magics present. It's well suited to attack deep into one of the most populous regions of Equestria. But its port is poorly suited to the size of our fleet."

Then the pointer moved to one of the farthest north cities on the map.

"This is Saint Trottersburg," the Jarl continued. "Its the closest to us and from what we understand lightly defended as it is unclaimed by any of the major houses as far as we know. It is well situated to attack the coastal region and controls a river that forms Equestria's old northern border. It is however poor and while its climate will be more comfortable than our current lands but still cold."

"What say you Chief Scout?" The King asked. "Where should the hammer fall?"

"Saint Trottersburg," Ardon answered simply, sitting back down.

"Why?" The King asked.

"They don't know we're coming," Ardon replied. "We must keep that advantage as long as possible. Saint Trottersburg is far enough out of the way for us to settle in and fortify before the locals are even aware of us. We can then strike with impunity or having to fear for our noncombatants."

"Wise words," the King said with a nod. "It should also give us a chance to bloody our warriors and feel out our foes."

The King then stood and took the rod from Jarl Stannith.

"Once we are establish our foothold at Saint Trottersburg we will need to move quickly," he said. "I doubt that we can defeat all of Equestria at once, even divided as it is. We must take this one at a time and inflict as much damage as we can with our forces."

He pushed two markers with crowned dragons on them onto the map at Saint Trottersburg.

"I will lead the bulk of our forces in land," he said pushing one marker towards a mountain range. "Into the territory of Moon and Stars. We shall force them into a battle and destroy them." Then he pushed the second marker along the coast line. "Jarl Heartsfury shall take the bulk of our warships and a fourth our troops to pillage and plunder enemy settlements along the coast line." He then pushed the first marker further inland to another river. "We shall then press south causing as much damage as we can the entire time." He moved the marker to another city on the southern end of the mountain range at the mouth of the river. "We shall sack this city here and wait for Jarl Furysheart to join us before continuing south." He moved the fleet marker south down the coast to join with its fellow once again.

"We shall then move to the city of Baltimare," he said firmly moving the markers south to another city. "And then split our forces once again to take Manehattan by both land and sea." He separated the markers once more before joining them together again at Manehattan. "Once Manehattan falls we make our final strike at Colterado." He moved both dots to Colterado in the south. "In the span of a single season we shall have crippled at least two houses and utterly destroyed one. At the same time we will make it impossible for the enemy to counter attack by sea or land."

He looked up his face hard and commanding.

"Equestria will be ours my friends," he said. "Ours to rule, to plunder, to prosper, and escape the horror in the winter winds."

"As the king commands," Jarl Krast stated. "Hail to the King of the Nor."

"Hail!"

Author's Note

More ponies next chapter. Hope you enjoy.