Wings of War

Long Hane grunted with exertion the earth pony putting her scythe down wincing as she worked her aching jaw. After three hours of gripping the wood in her teeth her mouth was begging for a brake.

“Wassa matter Sing Song, getting tired?” Another of the farmers laughed the unicorn letting his scythe drop blade first into the ground to secure it.

“….One the translation of my name would be Long Song, not Sing Song. And secondly no wonder the black smith in town loves you with what you do to that poor scythe it’s a wonder you don’t brake three a day.” Others around them laughed the unicorn flushing with embarrassment.

“Ehh whada you know Blank Flank.” Long Hane barely blinked.

“Apparently more then you, even when according to your butt you’re meant to be the wheat expert.” More laughter and he admitted defeat horn glowing as his aura gripped the handle of his scythe grunting as it refused to budge pushing more energy into the spell “Ahh Buckwheat I wouldn’t do-“ He yelped as the scythe was finally pulled lose the energy of the spell to much when it was finally free of the earth the farm tool shooting up into the air Buckwheat watching in horrified fascination as it vanished into the air. Long Hane blinked using her forehoof to shade her eyes.

“Nice, I think it cleared the towers of Burdens Rest….Also I wouldn't just stand there.” It took Buckwheat a moment for his brain to restart before yelping and galloping away, about half a minute later the scythe finally completed it’s fall blade once more cutting into the earth.

“Hane why am I not surprised.” Long Hanes ears twitched turning and grinning cheekily.

“Becaaaause I’m a smartass who can’t keep her mouth shut? That’s why we agreed last time wasn’t it Retiki?” The guard sighed putting a hoof to his face.

“Why do I even bother?” He bemoaned Long Hane chuckling.

“Because you Loooooove me.”

“….Talk to me when you have stripes Hane.” The Zebra sighed using a hoof to brush off dirt from his white and gold coat brass armor clanking as he moved. He arched an eyebrow at his unconventional friend “…Go wash off Hane, your done for the day and look more earth then Pony.” Long Hane sniggered.

“Fine, I’m sure DuBlade’s probably got a ale waiting for me in the tavern anyway.” Retiki rolled his eyes muttering under his breath about ‘Careless drunks stuck in their glory days’ but otherwise didn’t comment Long Hane kneeling a moment to pick up her scythe and nodded her head at Retiki trotting back to the gates of Burdens Rest smiling seeing the young farmers foals laughing and playing in the dusty fields while the elders watched on with wary but happy eyes.

The horn blew announcing the end of the work shift she’d been a part of others abandoning their work parents joining their foals to usher them inside the town’s safe walls. Long Hane set down her scythe in a small shed surrounded by a hundred alike it. She quickly galloped over to the communal showers dashing under the cold water teeth clattering as she scrubbed her coat and mane free of dust and dirt.

When her light blue coat and vivid red hair was finally clean enough to be able to actually tell the colour she hurried out trying to avoid the crush as her fellow workers descended on the showers. Shaking off the excess water she grinned trotting through the gate.

“Sunflower, check, Belladonna check, Blank Flank check.” Her eye twitched but she ignored it, refusing to let them get her down as she hurried over down a back ally till she came to a small tavern the sounds of drunken singing already ringing in her ears before she stepped hoof inside.

It was louder inside groups of pony’s bunched together and a unicorn mistral playing trying to compete with Gawin the local blacksmith the large grey griffin already three sheets to the wind raising his mug and warbling an off tune drinking song. Long Hane confidently trotted up to the bar ducking her head a moment to let a knife go flying past almost nicking her ear. The off duty guard who threw it groaning and shoving a hoof full of beats at a cackling Pegasus who started counting their winnings from the throwing game.

She jumped up onto a stool propping her head on her hoofs “One of your finest DuBlade!” The old wiry unicorn snorted looking over at her.

“Got it, EH MARY! MUG OF DISH WATER FOR HANE!” The patrons around them laughed Hane rolling her eyes.

“Haha, do I get a drink or not?” DuBlade chuckled levitating a flagon of ale to her.

“Does the sun rise in the sky.” Hane grinned snatching it and taking a gulp sighing as her thirst was parched. Her ear twitched at the rhythmic thunking Long Hane turning her neck watching as a group of stallions where grouped together egging on a earth Pony who was carefully aiming.

“Tryin to beat the high score?” DuBlade hummed a affirmative.

“I still don’t see how you didn’t get a Cutie Mark from it, I ain’t seen anyone else hit the knot up there.” He looked up at the rafters a old knife stuck fast in a dark knot of the wood.

“I still don’t see why you aint taken that stupid knife down. Side’s it’s been yeeeears.” She sipped her drink watching as DuBlade rubbed at his shoulder. “Sup with you?” He glanced at her and gazed out a window.

“…Ain’t nothing but a old scar, it’s just bugging me is all.”

“….The scar bugging you, or something about the scar bugging you is bugging you?”

“….Second one.” He narrowed his eyes. “Got it in my adventuring days, after I got it…Always got a pain in it when something was gonna go to hell.” Long Hane blinked pondering it.

“….TimberWolf attack?...Windigoes, that’d be bad this time of year….So’d a bad rainstorm…” She leaned over the counter and patted his shoulder “Don worry DuBlade, It’s probably nothing, or maybe your just a old man either or.”

“…No more drinks for you.” Long Hane whined and huffed at her long time friend glancing out the window as she drained her mug “See, nothing but clear sky's. What could go wrong in plain old Burdens Rest eh?”