Innocent

In the fading light of the day, Cor led Second Squad on a short mission to test the integrity of the Trolls’ line. The two Unicorns singled out as archers accompanied him ahead of the rest of the Squad and picked off a pair of sentries that warded the edge of the Troll camp. The camp was nothing more than a denser stand of trees in which all of the Trolls were now huddling, since they’d abandoned their tents and gear the night before. The first shots only scored one hit, wounding the Troll at the calf and preventing him from escaping as his companion did. He was not, however, prevented from calling out in alarm. A second shot from the two ash bows finished him off. The reaction from the camp was nothing like the previous night. Instead of sluggish and surprised, the Trolls were at arms and ready for battle within seconds of the sentry’s cry of pain. One hundred spears bristled as the Trolls attempted to catch sight of their attackers. As minutes passed, more Trolls arrived but no pony was seen. Cor and the rest of Second Squad had long since slipped away.

An hour later and on the west side of the camp, two more sentries fell, arrows protruding from their ribs. The alarm was raised and lines formed up in anticipation of a wave of pony soldiers from out of the darkness, but no such attack came. Once more, the ponies had already moved on. When a half an hour more had passed, this time on the south side of the camp, one sentry was struck down by an arrow that lodged in his windpipe. His companion let out a howl of warning and cast about until he spotted the pony responsible. Cor stood with the glow of his horn revealing him plainly less than fifty yards away. Behind him, two more Unicorns waited; all three holding bows at the ready. The Troll scrambled back into the relative safety of the defenders responding to his cry. The ponies remained where they were for a time, letting the Trolls see them before silently stepping back into the shadows and vanishing.

No pursuit was given even when they could clearly see that only a few ponies threatened. On their way back to camp, Cor explained to the squad that the purpose of their raid was to determine what the Trolls’ reaction would be to such strikes and now they knew. The Trolls intended to hold their position and defend against attacks such as their first raid. They could now plan more attacks with a clear idea of what to expect. Once they were back in camp, Cor dismissed Rainbow’s squadron and set about making more bows. He used magic to sculpt the limbs of one of the ash trees near their camp just as he had with the first two and converted another tree nearby into additional arrow shafts. After that, he muttered something about them being on their own and collapsed into his bedroll to recover his drained mana. Jason began assembling the arrows with fresh feathers donated from Canterlot’s Pegasi and a crate of arrowheads they’d brought in one of the supply wagons.

Zacon was summoned back to camp by a messenger and filled in on the results of the raid. He suggested that he take First Squad and start trimming away the enemy’s sentries. Jason advised against it, since Cor was out of action due to mana exhaustion. Zacon said he was sure that the two of them could handle anything out there, but Jason was still reluctant until some of Second Squad joined in, insisting that they were far from tired and willing to continue the raids. Jason agreed then and they left Rainbow’s Squadron back to watch over the camp and get some more rest. When they met up with First Squad, Sergeant Blitz informed them that the Trolls had settled down again, though they’d pulled their sentries in closer than before. With five bows in Second Squad and both he and Jason in the lead, Zacon assured them they were more than ready for whatever the Trolls had left.

~*~*~

Lyra hadn’t slept properly in close to two days but she didn’t care. She was too high-strung to even notice that the night was nearly spent. Every muscle in her body was trembling with nervous energy. She and the rest of her team were standing by for the signal to move ahead again. The Trolls were in a state of panic after hours of harassment, rushing to meet the ponies responsible for the arrows that sailed into their midst from the darkness, only to see them melt away and return farther down the line minutes later. The archers were split between Second Squad’s two teams, under Jason’s direction. While one team took their shots, the second would be racing ahead to the next point. When the first team reached them on their way to their next position, the second team would fire and the process would repeat. Every half hour, they would go quiet. Then they would reappear on the other side of the Troll camp.

With Zacon’s guidance, First Squad kept pace, watching for sustained pursuit. On a few occasions, Zacon set them up to ambush the Trolls foolish enough to venture out of their lines. Lyra had killed three this night, usually by telekinetically ripping the weapon out of their grasp and turning it back on them. Nopony had been injured yet, likely due to Zacon brazenly baiting the Trolls directly toward him and into the ring of ponies ready to pounce. With their attention focused on the grey stallion, they didn’t notice the raised weapons closing in on them from all around until it was too late. Lyra was giddy with excitement, watching her allies’ triumphs all around her, and at the same time, assaulted by nerve-racking fear every time she caught sight of the enemy or heard their disembodied howls from beyond the screen of trees. She had never been this afraid and elated at once before. The mix was stimulating, sharpening her senses until she could distinguish the colors of other ponies’ coats even in the darkness and the pounding of her heart rivaled the tramping of her hooves.

Jason galloped into view and stopped to exchange hurried words with Zacon. Zacon nodded as Jason raced off again. He called them in to share their next move. All twenty ponies of First Squad detached themselves from the shadows of their concealment and gathered around him.

“Jason says the Trolls have started trying to cut his group off by sending search parties out after each attack, but they’re being sloppy about it,” Zacon reported. “We’re going to set our ambush to try to eliminate one of these groups. That might dissuade them from sending any more, and clear the way for Second Squad to keep at their rounds.”

He set them out ahead of Second Squad in their normal ambush pattern, but more widely spread. They huddled back in the shadows, paired up so that any pony with a sword was near a pony with a spear and vice versa. Lyra took her position beside Private Savoir Fare. His gaze was fixed straight ahead, though she could see the nervous frown on the edge of his lips when he adjusted his lance and shifted his weight to a more comfortable position. She looked past him to where Privates Coco Crusoe and Baritone were crouched. Baritone’s clenched teeth shone white in the dark as he gripped the hilt of his sword and scanned the trees for the enemy. Privates Felix and Davenport whispered to each other on her right, though she couldn’t make out what was said. Zacon was in front of her, intentionally making sure he was clearly visible.

The ponies of Second Squad sped by, retreating deeper into the woods to regroup. Lyra saw Jason pause once to look back the way he’d come and then at one of the pairs of ponies that were hidden with her before hurrying to catch up to the others. The sound of their pursuers came close behind them. Lyra pressed herself into the side of the tree that sheltered her and tried to breathe evenly. She drew two of her daggers silently and readied her shield. When the first Trolls came into view, Zacon shouted a challenge and raised his axe, readying the signal for the rest of the ponies to attack. The Trolls turned and headed for him with responding shouts and growls. Lyra tried to pick out which one would be her target, but she became distracted by the number of Trolls that she could see, not just in front of her, but to either side of the ponies’ position. When the first of the Trolls reached Zacon, he brought his axe down and First Squad sprang up to slash and stab at the nearest Troll.

Lyra jumped out of her hiding place and rammed her shield into the legs of the nearest Troll, tripping him and causing him to fall into the daggers she was pressing forward into his chest. He fell on top of the blades and did not rise. She left them behind and drew three more to face the next Troll. Two daggers cut high and one cut low, forcing the Troll to stumble as his forearms and shins were sliced. Lyra followed up with one dagger stabbing swiftly upward under the chin and into his skull. Private Fare skewered the Troll that was closing on her left and drove it to the ground. They both took a step forward, but stopped when they saw the number of Trolls that were still emerging from the trees. The other pairs had dispatched their foes quickly, though Corporal Night Watch was being helped away on a bleeding leg by Private Karat.

Zacon stood in the midst of the squad, facing the Trolls defiantly and shifting his axe as he anticipated his next opponent. But as the ponies continued to face down the Trolls that reached them, even he began to notice that something wasn’t right. Despite having killed twice their own number, the ponies were becoming more and more outnumbered as seconds passed. A hint of uncertainty touched Zacon’s expression and his taunting smile slipped a notch. He glanced right and left once and his eyes widened.

“Jason!” he yelled as he charged directly into the oncoming Trolls. “We’ve been outflanked! Cover us!”

He clove one Troll in half as he spun in a wide arcing swing and used the remaining momentum to bring the axe up and back down again on the next Troll with a crunch.

“Fall back!” he shouted to the ponies around him. “Regroup east!”

He waded into the tide of Trolls that surged toward him. Blows glanced off his armor, doing little to slow him on their own, but as they continued to rain down on him from all sides, he was staggered and bashed about until he could hardly manage to swing his weapon. Still, he stubbornly held his ground and thrashed back at his attackers, bringing them down around him one by one. Lyra could see that this was no search party. This was the bulk of the Trolls’ remaining forces, ranging out into the trees widely to catch them and bring them to bay before they could disappear again. Panic threatened to take hold as she saw the rest of the ponies in front of her turn and run, leaving her virtually alone before the wave of Trolls that brandished weapons at her as they charged. She took a step backward and then another. Suddenly, ponies appeared on either side of her. Sergeant Blitz, Corporal Big Mac and Private Posthaste stood stoically to her right, while Privates Caramel, Time Turner, Quick Fix and Breezy readied their swords to her left. Lyra saw their eyes fixed determinedly on the Trolls and she steeled herself to continue the fight alongside them.

“The Lieutenant’s gotten himself in deep,” Blitz growled, pointing to where Zacon was battling on all four sides, cut off from the ponies that were now in full retreat. “We’ll have to get him out.” He glanced at Big Mac as he went on. “Heartstrings, Quick Fix and I will push them back on the left, while you, Posthaste and Breezy take the right of him. Caramel and Turner, you’ll get the Lieutenant to pull back and cover him while he does. Right? Go!”

They charged forward, engaging any Trolls between them and their target two on one. Lyra noticed out of the corner of her eye that many of the Trolls were going around them, whether because they were intent on pursuing the rest deeper into the woods or because they simply didn’t notice the knot of ponies that was still fighting back, she could not tell. She pushed on regardless, thankful that she wouldn’t have to face them just yet. She cut the ankles out from under a Troll that was smashing his axe into the Lieutenant’s shoulder plates repeatedly and the Troll fell to the side with a yelp. She slashed at the exposed throat as he attempted to twist to face her and he fell back writhing as he choked and bled out.

The Trolls realized they had new opponents and turned to face them, giving Zacon a marginal respite. Lyra struck out with her daggers in short flurries, stinging the enemy and causing them to reel back from the deep-piercing blades. Private Quick Fix stood beside her, taking advantage of the openings she created and finished off her victims with his sword. The two Unicorns rapidly reduced the number of enemies on their end of the fight and, with Blitz, they managed to throw the Trolls off of Zacon’s left side.

On the right, Big Mac swept the Trolls aside with his massive hammer, ignoring the slight size advantage they enjoyed thanks to his well placed and staggering blows. Posthaste and Breezy used their lance and sword to keep the Trolls back while Big Mac wound up for each successive swing. The Trolls on the right began to back away when they realized that they would have to turn their back on one of the two huge stallions if they stayed. With the Trolls successfully held at bay, Caramel grabbed Zacon and attempted to pull him away from the fighting.

“What are you doing?” Zacon shouted, unsteady on his hooves. “We’re about to rout them! Hold your ground!”

Caramel let go of him in surprise, causing the Lieutenant to nearly fall over. Zacon mouthed something wordlessly and took a shaky step to one side and almost went down again. Despite his claim, the Trolls remained committed to the fight, outnumbering the ponies two to one in just this small stretch of forest, with reinforcements only a stone’s throw behind them.

“Sir,” Caramel tried to reason with him. “You’re the one that sounded the retreat! We’re making sure you get out with us!”

Zacon didn’t seem to hear him correctly, shaking his head and attempting to focus on the Trolls in front of him. “I’ll stand the line alone if I must! They’ll not take an inch of ground while I draw breath!”

Zacon took two huge panting breaths before trying to raise his axe again. The effort caused his legs to buckle and he dropped to his knees, putting a hoof to the side of his head. Turner jumped in, grabbing Zacon by the shoulder and spinning him around forcefully.

“Sarge said to get you out. Now get out!”

Turner practically threw the stunned stallion toward the rear of the fighting and pushed him again to keep him moving. Zacon didn’t resist this time, having given in to the fact that he was hardly able to stand, let alone fight. Caramel helped him stay upright and walked with him. Other Trolls began to converge on them from the sides, finally noticing the ponies that had not yet disappeared into the trees. Without Zacon holding their attention and absorbing their blows, the fighting became desperate while the ponies attempted to disengage.

Blitz glanced back at Caramel and Zacon, nodding in satisfaction. “Now he’s moving, they’ll get themselves out. Now it’s our t—”

Blitz was hit in the side of the head by the last, desperate claw of a Troll he’d thought was finished. His helmet was torn off and blood immediately washed over his face. He collapsed where he stood and didn’t move. Several pairs of eyes turned to Big Mac, who was now the ranking officer. He hesitated long enough to blink.

“Get out!” he shouted. “Any way you can!”

He smashed his hammer into one last Troll and bent to scoop Blitz onto his back. He and Turner ran off in the direction of Zacon and Caramel while Breezy and Posthaste turned north, where there were fewer Trolls visible. Lyra saw Trolls giving chase immediately. The normally faster ponies were tired from the night of fighting and the slower lumbering of the tireless Trolls was keeping dangerously close behind them.

“They’re not going to get away unless…” Lyra breathed.

Two images flashed before her eyes, one of Zacon drawing the Trolls to him for the benefit of the others, and the second of several pieces of armor and clubs hovering before her.

I don’t ask that you handle nine Trolls at once, Jason’s voice echoed in her ears. But I would like you to be able to deal with those odds. You don’t need to kill all of them to win. Just one or two and then get out alive.

“…unless I draw them off,” she finished.

“Right with you,” Quick Fix said from her side.

He jabbed out three times at a Troll that was closing in on him: Once in the knee, causing it to stumble; once in the shoulder, stopping its swing; and once in the throat, leaving it dying behind him. Lyra considered him for a second and nodded. They started shouting and waving their weapons wildly and ran to the south. Trolls all around them turned to give chase, drawn on by the sound of challenge. Trolls continued to emerge from all around and some who had already passed by them returned. Lyra found herself pushing past what she thought were her limits of endurance to outdistance them.

She and Quick Fix raced through the trees, no longer shouting due to their gasping for breath. The Trolls, however, needed no more encouragement to pursue them. Their pounding feet sounded from all around. Then a Troll appeared directly in front of them and Lyra scrabbled to change course. But Quick Fix didn’t react in time and he collided with her. They went down in a tumbling mass, stopping at the Troll’s feet. He brought his axe up with a triumphant grin, but when it fell, he was no longer holding it. Quick Fix, from where he was lying under Lyra, had stabbed his sword into the Troll’s armpit and caused him to drop the axe. Lyra scooped up her own blades and pierced the Troll’s chest in a dozen places before he toppled over backwards. The two ponies scrambled up again, only to realize that Trolls blocked every angle of escape.

“We did it!” Quick Fix smiled wanly. “They came after us instead of the others.”

“Too bad about us though,” Lyra replied with a grim chuckle.

“We’re not done yet.”

He struck out at the first Troll to reach him and Lyra helped to parry the Troll’s spear. Lyra sent her daggers arcing into the neck of the second while slapping away the axe of a third with her shield. Quick Fix finished off the first and turned to the third when he saw the second one go down already. Still the Trolls came on. By the time they’d brought one down, the next would reach them and they could hardly pause for breath. They called to each other, turned and jumped and swung, and fought on in a wild blur that lit the patch of dark forest with the glow of their horns and the glint of metal, and echoed with grunts and clashing that drowned out everything else in the world.

Still the Trolls converged on them. Two at a time, they reached the ponies and were faced down. The ponies turned and darted, attempting to move away from the Trolls, to find some escape. But no gap appeared. Lyra could see a small cluster of Trolls forming up behind the ones they were fighting, preparing to overwhelm them in one final rush and she felt despair welling up inside her. She knew that she’d likely helped the others escape, and she knew that counted for something. But she also wanted very desperately to live. If she died now, she’d never know for sure that the others had escaped. Or if Equestria was saved. She’d never see Bon Bon again! The promise that she’d be willing to risk her life to protect their home had been so easy to make before she’d faced the enemy.

An axe whistled close by her muzzle and she abandoned those thoughts, just in time to realize Quick Fix had said something to her. Before she could figure out what, he surged past her and tackled a Troll.

“Now!” he shouted. “Go!”

On one side, he held a Troll at bay with his sword. On the other, he used his hooves to wrestle with the spear of another. In between was a gap that led away into dark trees that remained completely devoid of enemies. Lyra took the opportunity instantly, running as fast as she could, but not for long. She couldn’t bear to abandon her comrade to certain death. She turned back when she’d safely escaped the encircling Trolls and shouted for him to follow, striking out at his attackers with her slender blades. Quick Fix kicked the Troll that was still fighting him for control of the spear and struggled back to his hooves. He’d made it two steps when his hind leg was sliced deeply by the axe of a Troll that charged up behind him.

That Troll took a blade to the face and another to the gut before falling. Bleeding, Quick Fix limped on three more paces before another Troll caught him. The Troll delivered a powerful chopping blow with a spear to his back. The spear snapped, but Lyra feared she heard something else break. She called out to him to keep running as she drove the Troll away with her stinging daggers, but Quick Fix could only raise his head high enough to look at her blearily. Lyra knew he wouldn’t rise on his own. So she drew back her daggers, sheathed them, and telekinetically pulled him the rest of the way to her.

He groaned in pain as she hoisted him up on her back and gasped from the shocks as she started to run. Knowing that she was running to save two lives lent new strength to her legs and she was able to put distance between herself and the pursuing Trolls at first. But that surge faded quickly and they began gaining the ground back.

“Drop me,” she heard Quick Fix whisper in her ear. “I’m slowing you down.”

She didn’t have the energy to respond, so she just kept running. She could hear him try to speak again, but she didn’t let herself listen. She knew that if she did, her heart would leave her and she wouldn’t be able to keep going. The sounds of the Trolls’ steps grew louder behind her, but she couldn’t look back to see where they were. In fact, she didn’t have the energy to look where she was going either. She had no idea what direction she was running now, only that the way ahead was clear of Trolls. She pushed on, beginning to falter, but still unwilling to give in. A shout from above her cut through the haze of exhaustion and she looked around for the source.

All at once, Pegasi descended on the Trolls that pursued her, piercing them with javelins and blades in a flurry of wings and hooves. Lyra slowed to a trot and finally stopped. When Star Hunter landed beside her she hardly noticed. All sound and motion was dulled for her. All she could concentrate on was the weight on her back. She eased Quick Fix onto the ground with Star Hunter’s help. Quick Fix didn’t stir. His eyes were closed and his chest was still.

“Internal bleeding,” one Pegasus commented somberly after examining the extensive bruising. “His back’s broken, as well as a few ribs.”

Lyra’s vision blurred with tears, but none fell. She didn’t have the energy left to cry. When she tried to move, she felt the world tilt instead and she fell into darkness.

~*~*~

The ponies’ camp was silent as dawn broke. The Pegasi of Rainbow’s Squadron kept watch while the others recovered from the raid. The Trolls had given up the pursuit an hour ago and their remaining forces had returned to their own camp. Zacon had lost consciousness soon after returning. He was now lying in his tent, bruises covering much of his body. Sergeant Blitz was sitting near one of the campfires, the left side of his head wrapped in thick bandages. Corporal Night Watch sat beside him, his leg also bandaged. Lyra was resting on her bedroll, not having awoken yet after collapsing. Private Breezy was being tended to by Twilight. He’d been stabbed twice by Trollish spears before he’d managed to find his way back to Second Squad.

Posthaste hadn’t been so lucky. Quick Fix and Posthaste lay beneath sheets in the back of the camp. Ponies occasionally looked over at the dark shapes but their gaze never lingered. Cor sat outside Zacon’s tent, brooding. He’d have been yelling at him if the other had been conscious. He’d settled for yelling at Jason briefly, but it had been pointless and he’d given it up. Jason was sitting at the edge of the camp, looking back toward the remains of the battle. He hadn’t said anything since he’d gotten back, even in the face of Cor’s outburst. Twilight stepped away from Breezy’s side to get Cor’s attention. Cor followed her back to the Private.

“I could really use a lesson on healing right now,” Twilight said pleadingly.

“You’re not ready to take on wounds like this.” He shook his head sadly. “You’re still fixing torn leaves.”

“Then you heal this,” she suggested, gesturing at the long gash that ran over the surface of Breezy’s back. “Bandages aren’t going to heal that any time soon, but your magic could.”

“If I had any left,” Cor frowned. “I used just about everything I had to make those bows and arrows.”

“Oh, right. And how much good did those do us?” Twilight said acidly. “They seem to have saved so many lives!”

She turned away from him with a huff of disgust. Cor had to bite his tongue so that he wouldn’t vent his own anger back at her. He took a breath and then spoke, coincidentally at the same moment she turned back to him and spoke as well.

“I’m sorry,” they both said.

They blinked and shared a weak laugh at the fleeting humor.

“I know this didn’t go well,” Cor said with a sigh. “And I’m partly to blame for making the bows and being out of commission when they went off to use them. Even if this was a tactical victory, I regret that I can’t help to mitigate the cost.”

“I’m sorry for snapping at you,” Twilight muttered. “I know you’re doing the best you can. I shouldn’t be taking it out on you when I’m not able to help more, or when lives are lost. It’s...it’s not going to stop any time soon, is it?”

Cor hesitated. “I don’t know. But we can hope. And we can work together to make it so.”

Twilight nodded and Cor went to rest again. Twilight continued to change Breezy’s bandages. Breezy winced and stirred so that he could face toward where the dead lay.

“It should have been me,” he muttered.

Twilight followed his gaze and shivered at the thought.

“No,” she said, shushing him gently. “It shouldn’t have been any of us.”

“That poor lad could outpace me any day of the week, but he stayed back, makin’ sure I was keepin’ up. I slowed him down and he paid for it.”

“It’s not your fault,” Twilight whispered.

Breezy didn’t say anything more, but Twilight could hear him sobbing softly as he hid his face with his hooves.

~*~*~

Jason held his sword close to his face, looking along the blade at the fine edge and the faint glow of magic that touched the black material. He melodramatically pondered if the edge of his blade was sharper than the pain he was feeling. He knew some of the troops blamed themselves for their fallen comrades’ fates. He wasn’t a stranger to that crushing weight. But he was in a position to know that he was truly guilty of failure.

He’d heard Zacon call him back to the fight. He’d seen the ponies fleeing from the waves of Trolls that surged through the trees after them. He even saw the courageous counterattack that rescued Zacon. But what he hadn’t seen was the desperate flight that had ended in the death of Private Posthaste. What he hadn’t seen was the selfless decoy maneuver for which Private Quick Fix had given his life. He hadn’t seen these things because he’d stayed with the group that was carrying Zacon and Blitz from the fight. But it wasn’t the stricken officers he was protecting. It was Private Time Turner that Jason had come to defend. Turner had been fully willing and capable to continue fighting, but Jason had made sure not a single Troll had gotten close to him. Even when he’d been doing it, Jason had been aware of the illogical choice.

Pure stupidity, more like, he admonished himself angrily.

He glanced back into the camp and saw Cor staring at him. There was a dull accusation in his eyes, as if he knew what Jason was thinking but felt it wasn’t worth adding his own reprimands. Jason sprang up, unable to sit and stew on it any longer. He started walking, heading north without any destination in mind. All he wanted to do was move. He left the camp behind and kept going. Only when he heard wings rustle did he notice Rainbow Dash had joined him, along with Cosmic, Cerulean, Star Hunter and Starling. Behind them, a few others were walking with him, several paces back but keeping up. Big Mac, Caramel, Long Watch and Sergeant Clear Waters were silent the whole way.

“I’m not out here for a mission,” Jason muttered. “I just need time to think.”

“We figured,” Rainbow said, easing up directly alongside Jason. “We all need to walk this off, but I think we need something more than that. And that’s to be together. We’re with you in this, and not just because we’re walking right next to you.”

The others nodded and Jason accepted their presence with a grateful sigh. They continued on farther than any of them paid attention to. The morning turned to midday and they stopped briefly when they reached the foothills that marked the transition from the forest to the mountains. Big Mac had brought some food with him and they shared it in silence. It was only after they’d finished eating that any of them spoke.

“It seems so surreal, doesn’t it,” Rainbow commented.

“Which part?” Jason asked.

“How new it seems to be mourning the loss of a friend. I mean, this isn’t the first time it’s happened.”

“Maybe not,” Long Watch said after they’d all considered the statement for a moment. “But it is the first time recently. We’ve just come off of a string of victories that didn’t cost us so much as one of our lives. But now we’re down by two.”

“Like we didn’t expect any of us to die again?” Caramel asked wryly.

“In a way,” Long Watch nodded.

“I think it’s something more,” Jason mused.

They all lapsed back into silence, each pondering their separate thoughts, some fidgeting and scuffing the dirt with their hooves.

“We were closer,” Starling murmured softly, drawing all eyes. Her diminutive form shrank further under the attention but she elaborated in a stronger voice. “We knew these two ponies so much better than any of the others before. We’d spent more time with them, were comfortable with their names, maybe even knew what made them laugh. They weren’t just fellow Equestrians or neighbors from across town. They were part of our group, our platoon, and we’ve shared victories with them. We’ve lost two of our own. Practically family,” she finished in a whisper, wiping her eyes.

They were all silent again as each of them contemplated those words. They all acknowledged that she’d said it better than they would have.

“But we’re not beaten,” Cosmic said solemnly.

“Of course not,” Rainbow snorted. “They may have hurt us, but we’re not going to break. We’ve still got homes to protect and ponies counting on us. We’ll stick it out.”

“I wouldn’t mind a bit of payback,” Starling added darkly.

“We’ll have our chance,” Long Watch replied evenly. “But not just yet.”

“Don’t be too sure about that,” Cerulean spoke up, looking to the west. “Anypony else seeing what I’m seeing?”

He pointed to a line of figures plodding through the hills and down toward the trees. At this distance, it was hard to tell who they were or how many, but it was unlikely it was anyone but Troll troops. The gathered ponies exchanged glances, some of which were eager. They all waited for the two Lieutenants.

“That’ll be your call,” Long Watch said to Jason.

After a moment’s hesitation, Jason decided they would attack. They slipped back into the cover of the trees and through the trunks to intercept the enemy. When they were close enough, they stopped to count and gauge their opponents. Twelve Trolls made their way toward them, careful and unhurried. They were different than other Trolls they’d seen though. The fur was thicker on the backs and necks, and they wore more armor. The leather shoulder pads and girdles did little to offer more protection, but Jason got the feeling their purpose was more symbolic than functional when he saw the decorative markings on the shoulders that reminded him of epaulettes. One Troll was not wearing the distinctive armor. In fact, he wasn’t visibly carrying a weapon at all. He was, however, carrying a satchel.

Jason waited until the Trolls disappeared behind one of the hills before he led the others out of their cover, angling north so that they could come around behind the Trolls. They slipped silently through the tall grasses and scrub that covered the rolling slopes, keeping off of the crests to avoid detection. They turned back south when they crossed the Trolls’ tracks and followed them. Since the Trolls were moving so guardedly, the ponies caught up with them in minutes. They remained silent as they moved as close as they could without being discovered. The Trolls were still marching in single file toward the forest. They were within a bowshot of the trees when one Troll glanced around and spotted the ponies closing in on them.

That Troll managed to shout a few words before Jason’s sword lashed out and turned his warning into a cry of pain. Most of the Troll’s joints were sliced deeply, rendering the Troll unable to move as he fell to the ground and bled freely. The rest of the ponies charged. The Trolls quickly formed up a tight line of spears and stood resolutely in the path of their enemy. But the lead Troll turned to the one with the satchel and shouted for him to flee. The unarmored Troll looked at his fallen ally in horror and obeyed immediately.

Caramel, Clear Waters and Long Watch closed in and began fencing with the spears of the Trolls, attempting to find an opening. The clash of the blades on the wooden poles echoed harshly in the hilly terrain. Big Mac charged into the fight, using a sweeping blow from his hammer to knock the spearheads aside. Instead of winding up for another swing, he kept running, throwing himself into one of the Trolls and bowling him over. The pony and Troll tumbled down the hillside, flailing and grappling wildly. Two of the other Trolls turned to pursue them, but they were brought up short when Rainbow descended on them leading her four Pegasi. Despite being surrounded and outnumbered, the two Trolls held their ground and kept the Pegasi at bay with expertly wielded spears. The Pegasi flitted around them, swooping in and darting out while the Trolls jabbed and parried.

Jason joined the fight, drawing the attention of two Trolls and forcing them to give ground as his first two swings disarmed a Troll by cutting his spear into thirds. Fighting three on five, the swordsponies faced down the remainder of the Trolls’ spear formation. Seizing a chance, Long Watch lunged in, using his sword to turn the spearhead aside while grabbing the shaft with his hooves. He slammed the spear into the ground, snapping it in half. The Troll backed away, using the broken shaft to fend off the flurry of sword thrusts that followed. Caramel and Clear Waters still fought four Trolls and were pushed back several paces. Caramel made a misstep on the uneven ground and failed to block. The shaft of the spear swung around and connected solidly with the side of his head, dropping him instantly. Clear Waters called out to the others and stepped in front of the unconscious pony.

Starling heard the call and raced to assist. She dropped down to mere inches above the ground and homed in on the four Trolls that were bearing down on the Sergeant. They didn’t see her coming and she wove through their legs, slicing at ankles and calves until she met the fourth. As the first few reeled from the Pegasus’ strikes, the final Troll reacted by swinging the pole of his spear into her path. She deftly tucked in her wings at the last second and grabbed the shaft with her hoof, using it as a pivot that swung her up into the face of the Troll. A bladed hoof entered his skull and she planted both hind legs on his chest to push off. He toppled over backward as she did a tight loop that put her on course to engage the other three again. She and Clear Waters fell upon them before they could recover from her first pass.

Jason dispatched the last of his opponents while Rainbow and the others overcame the two they’d been facing. At the bottom of the hill, Big Mac delivered a last powerful hoof to the Troll’s head. He was battered and cut by claws, but steady on his hooves as he stood above the comatose Troll. The Troll carrying the satchel had long disappeared into the trees. After making sure Caramel wasn’t seriously hurt, Jason, Rainbow and Starling made their way down to Big Mac, who hadn’t moved since he’d risen from his struggle.

“You alright big guy?” Starling asked.

“Eeyup,” he replied distractedly.

“What’s the deal then?”

Big Mac gestured to the Troll, whose chest still rose and fell subtly. Starling considered it for a second without any readable expression. Before anypony could react, she stepped closer and plunged her blade into the Troll’s heart, ending the tiny sign of life in a splatter of blood and convulsions. Big Mac recoiled and Rainbow yelped in surprise. Jason’s eyes went wide and then narrowed dangerously.

“What was that?” He said the three words through gritted teeth.

“I killed it,” Starling replied. “What about it?”

“He wasn’t even…there was no need to…” Jason sputtered in his attempt to rein in his anger.

“No need to what?” Starling pressed. “Kill our enemy? I think there’s a need to do that.”

“That’s not what I mean,” Jason said.

Starling looked from the Lieutenant to the dead Troll.

“Did you want a prisoner?” she asked.

“Maybe. It’s more complicated than that.”

“Really?!” Starling laughed harshly. “Holding a prisoner all the way out here? And how would we have managed that?”

Jason didn’t have a response. Instead he ordered them to gather up their weapons and return to camp. Starling gave a contemptuous huff as she left. Long Watch carried Caramel on his back and shuffled south with the others. Rainbow and Big Mac stayed at the dead Troll’s side.

“What were you going to do about him?” Jason asked Big Mac.

The other shook his head uncertainly, still looking stricken.

“Don’t think about it then. It’s done and that’s that.”

Big Mac nodded uneasily and turned to leave. Rainbow was staring at the bloodstained dirt below the Troll, her own shocked expression frozen around frightened eyes. Jason approached her cautiously.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

She closed her eyes tightly and gulped. After a moment, she shook her head. Jason put a hoof on her shoulder and she clasped it desperately in her own. After several seconds, Rainbow let go and turned away, pointedly avoiding looking at any of the fallen Trolls as she walked back toward the trees. She kept walking until she reached the camp, her step quicker than normal all the way, determined to leave behind the dead Troll that was so hauntingly similar to another of her own kills which was vividly etched into her mind.