Forces

Forces

Hiking up the mountain with my young hooves the snow was heavy on the other side of the mountains. Nowadays I know the reason the desert I spent my young life in was so dry and relentless, it was in a rain shadow of these mountains. From what supplies I took from the carnahorse's cottage I was fed little for several weeks. In the pine forest that covered this side of the mountain I spent many sickened nights only being kept warm by leather and wool coats I took from the cottage.

I about a month I reached the foot of the mountain range and found a thick pine forest with some trees I had never seen. These trees had leaves much bigger then pine needles. I gazed at the forest and embraced the sight of the most green I had ever seen. I walked through it, it's cold wet ground feeling alien on my hooves. As I walked I found a ridge that led to a small cliff face. I heard the sounds of clanging metal and the occasional grunt of anger.

I crept to the ridge and saw thirty feet down in a rocky clearing a pony I could only describe as stretched. In her suit of dark plated iron armor I could see she had long legs, a long snout, long ears and a long tail. She even had backwards facing horns sticking thorough her helm. From my point of view I thought the set of tan bat wings on her back was a cape. The long armored pony had a group of bandits attacking her from all sides.

The group consisted of four rams with spears and a massive pig with a heavy flail. All of them had thick leather hide armor with occasional pieces of iron as protection. But the part that frightened my young self the most is that they seemed to be having fun as they were attacking the pony from all sides with a sword in both forehooves. I was amazed by how quickly she moved with all of that armor. One of the rams threw a spear but missed the pony, unfortunately it hit some loose dirt I was leaning on and I rolled down the cliff. Both sides watched me roll down the hill with amusement.

I landed right in front of the pig. He looked from me to the armored pony. He kicked me in the ribs then used one of his forefeet to keep me on the ground. The armored pony looked at me through her visor with shocked pink eyes. With the pig's hoof on my back I could barely breath.

"Heh heh heh, wacha gonna do now?" The pig snickered with the mace's handle in his mouth.

"Ya fat swine!" the mare's muffled voice called through the helm,"I'll slash the fat off your damned bones!" It was an accent I had never heard in the desert.

"Pit down yer swords...and yer armor too an' I let 'er go," The pig licked his lips,"I bet yer a squishy 'un under all dat armor!"

The mare was standing on her hind hooves and stamped a foot closer,"I'll warn you only once...get off."

The pig leaned more on to me and I cried out in pain under his crushing strength. He laughed only for a moment. The armored mare's wings rocketed her toward the pig, she readied her swords as the pig simple brain tried to register what was happening.

He didn't have long. The mare's swords dug deep into his adam's apple and as she pulled the two apart his wide neck split open gushing blood out onto me and the ground. His weapon fell to the earth and I scrambled to get out of the way of his falling body. He landed with a wet thud and his ram followers scattered. I sat panting and afraid while the pony looked at me through the visor.

"Is the wee filly injured?" She asked with her accented voice.

"A-a little. That bastard was heavy on my back. But...thanks for saving me, Miss," I responded. I rubbed the thick blood off my jacket.

"What a mouth on such a young lass," She said sheathing her swords. She walked over to a large rock and lifted a large pack from behind it and placed it between her wings. She looked back to me for a moment,"Oi, there's a river over yonder. If you don't want some wolves or worse chasin' ya, I'd suggest you wash the blood off of you," She sniffed the air,"Actually you need it any way. I kin smell you from here."

I felt a little offended at this. I looked down at my hooves and saw not the skin tone hooves I have, but mud crusted nubs. I pulled some of my mane in view and saw it was matted and had bits of sticks in it. I glared at the mare, I knew I was a bit dirty, she didn't have to be so blunt about it.

The mare was walking away to a thicket of trees and I rushed up to her to follow. My chest aced from the pig's attack but I didn't want the armored mare to know it really hurt. She stared straight ahead as if I wasn't next to her.

"So yer followin' me now?" she asked.

"I-is that a problem?" I asked as bravely as I could. I could sense a smile from her inside that helmet.

I followed her for a little and listened to the sound of cicadas and singing birds. The armored mare broke the silence,"Do you have a name, lass?"

"Pea Gravel, miss," I said meekly.

"Tsk! Ya don'y have tah call me Miss. If you're going tah be formal say 'mam," Her voice grated,"And I have a name too, Alia Bufordox."

I giggled when I herd her name,"Bufordox? What kind of name is that?"

"S'a traditional name for Dragon Ponies like myself," She replied flatly.

"Dragon pony?" I asked vacantly.

"Are ya that stupid lass?" Alia groaned,"Look at me wings! They aren't a-covered in feathers are they?" She said lifting her bat-like wings.

"Is that all that makes you a dragon?" I asked.

"When we stop at the river I'll show ya. I'd rather not carry this here armor unless it's on me back."

After a small walk through the pine and leafy trees I heard the sound of moving water. Once out of the woods I saw a small river, up until then it was the biggest body of water I had ever seen. I threw off the leather coats on my back and rushed to the river. Jumping into the shallows the cold water felt amazing on my grubby skin. I rolled around and dunked my head under the water while Alia moved to the shore undoing some of the leather straps on her armor. I had figured out a strange form of the doggy paddle until I looked over at Alia. I trotted to shore with a soaking coat of fur.

Alia was undoing the leather under her chin and I realized something terrifying at the time. Alia had fingers like a dragon's. She slid her horned helm but the streamline horns stayed on her head. Alia held the thick iron helm in her hands and looked at me with her pink iris eyes which complimented her burgundy mane that flowed out between the horns. She had very smooth skin that almost looked like fish scales in the tree dappled light and a scar ran across her muzzle cheek to cheek. Alia lay her helm next to the rest of her armor and stretched her arms and wings out with a yawn.

"So you really are a hybrid!" I exclaimed.

"What a daft lass, did my wings really not give it away?" She groaned.

I sat near her examining her alien appearance, she didn't take it to well.

"Am I funny lookin' to ya?" She growled.

"No, just different," I smiled.

"Pea was it?" She asked picking her sharp teeth with a claw,"I've got to say, either you're the bravest wee pony I met or the stupidest."

"Why?" I asked whimsically.

"Cuz most ponies turn tail and run at the sight of me. Ya see...most ponies think I'm some sort of monster or something cus my father was a dragon," Alia said.

"I don't think your scary. I've seen a real dragon and you're nothing like him."

Alia threw her head back and laughed loudly,"Really? Ah, what kind of dragon did ya see lass?"

"He was long and redish black. He had creepy yellow eyes and porcupine quills on his back," I recalled with a chill.

Alia's face grew serious,"Did he have wings?"

"No, that's the weird part! All of the dragons I've heard about have wings like you."

"That's no good. From what ya told me, that one sounds like the Lamb Cruncher, Wiktet. He's one of Borox's cronies," Alia said with a frown.

"Borox? Who's that?"

"Ah child, you lived under a rock didn't you? Borox also known as the Serpent Father or The Bloody Bastard by non followers, is teh head of some cult for wingless dragons," Her wings twitched,"I could never imagine being stuck to the ground like an 'earth crawler'...no offence."

"S'alright Alia," I smiled.

There was a silence between the two of us for a moment. Alia looked around impatiently,"You washed up, why are ya still here?"

"I want to follow you," I said bluntly.

"Come again?" Alia itched the inside of her ear.

"I want you to teach me to fight like you did back there," I asked with bright eyes,"Could you?"

Alia bit her lip. She folded her arms and scanned my size for a moment,"You? You learning to fight like me? Don't make me laugh."

"What have you got to lose?" I asked.

"Well...yer a pony. Ponies aren't the fighting type," She grumbled,"Most of the things out there would eat ya alive!"

"I escaped a dragon and killed a carnahorse," I said flatly.

"Bullshit you did. I've seen carnahorses, their as tenacious as a mule is stubborn. There's no way in heaven or hell a filly would kill one."

"So you don't believe me?" I asked.

"Hell no I don't. Don't go trying to swell your story to make it sound better, that's not how it works out here," She piratically scolded.

I stood up on my hooves,"Alright, I'll fight you for it."

Alia rolled on the ground laughing. She whooped and hollered while I stood with a uneasy glare. Her fits of laughter subsided and she sat up and looked at me with an amused look.

"Oh lassie, you'd really fight me even knowin' I'm a mercenary that's killed more creatures then ya have teeth? Even knowin' I'm a carnivore?" She grinned devilishly.

"Yes," I said simply.

She got up and walked over to a nearby tree. She broke off two staff-like branches and tossed one to me. The stick landed in front of me and I looked from Alia to the staff.  She held her staff in her mouth and walked back to her sitting spot on the shore. She sat down and smiled with the stick between her teeth.

"Alright, I'll go easy on ya. Just try to land a hit on me," She grinned.

I picked up the staff with my jaw and looked at how Alia was sitting. She sat like a cat would waiting for her prey to come closer. I shifted my hooves around looking for a vulnerable spot while her hot pink eyes stared me down. I took my chances for her left side. I jolted off the ground and had my staff mid swing but something blocked my strike. Her wing was splayed out like a shield and I was swept away like a dust bunny.  Rolling back, I went for the other side. This time a smack in the face from her tail. Targeting the center. Crack on the head with a staff. I put my staff in my fore hooves and stood on my hind ones, this made Alia's eyebrow raise a little. I went in for a downward strike and was blocked by her staff. Strike, block, strike, bock, kick...

She spat her staff out when my hind hoof went towards the base of her jaw. She headbutted me and I went sprawling back. I was about to push myself up when a stick poked my throat. I looked up and Alia had an annoyed look as she stood over me.

"Look lass, it's been fun an' all but I've got things to do. So if ya don't mind, kindly bugger off."

I've been told my eyes turn a mint green when I'm especially angry. This was one of those times,"There's only one way to use your mouth in a fight," I growled and bit the staff at my throat. Somehow I pulled it out of her grip and made a full 360 turn before cracking it hard on her muzzle.

I stared wrathfully up at her breathing heavily. Alia stared down at me with a shocked look and a nose dripping blood. She held a hand up to her nose and sat down blinking wide eyed.

"Never I'm my life have I seen a pony with such pain tolerance and...and drive for combat. Ya didn't even notice the blood dripping from your forehead did you?" She asked breathlessly. She held a hand up to block the streams of blood from her nose.

I dropped the stick and placed a hoof on my forehead then held my now blood covered hoof in front of my face. Now that I thought about it, my whole forehead was feeling warm and wet now. My adrenalin had subsided and I sat across from the dragon pony my head aching from Alia's strike. We sat in a few moments of pained silence.

"Alright, I'll teach you what I know...or at least some of it," She said with a grin behind her hand.

I hugged the dragon pony. She seemed shocked and shoved me off her torso.

"I'm your mentor not yer mum! Don't go huggin me like that!" She scowled.

"Sorry...so what's my first job?" I asked excitedly.

"First up, we both need to wash off again. Can't walk around like some blood covered cannibals, eh?" Alia chuckled.

We both went over to the river and dunked our heads into the cool water. The flow if it felt amazing on my head that now felt like it was spit in two, thankfully it wasn't.

Alia smiled wryly. She pointed to her stack of armor and chain mail,"First I need ya to sort me armor inta two piles. One that the armor isn't cracked or rusted and one that is. Then once you're done with that take the grindin' stone out from the bag an' sharpen my swords."

I jumped to the task while Alia slipped into the river and let the cold water relax her sore muscles. I had sharpened farm tools before but never swords. A few hours passed and I scanned and checked Alia's armor while she swam through the river bend. It was almost dark and I stopped working to get a fire started. Alia saw me make a small flame started with some flint and tinder I stole from the carnahorse. The dragon pony jumped out of the river and shook the water off her mane onto the fire. I was about to protest but I remembered that I was under her lead now.

"Ya can't make a fire here you idiot!" She hissed a whisper.

"Why not? Fire scares off animals, right?"

"Yeah but not Ridge Dogs, fire would be a beacon to 'em," She looked over at her armor which still looked like one stack,"I thought I told you to put the good and bad armor in two piles."

"I did, all of your armor is beat up," I sighed as I scattered the ingredients for the fire,"Your going to have to find a real good black smith or pay for a whole new set."

Alia lumbered over to her belongings and cursed under her breath. She pulled out a blanket and bagged up her armor. The dragon pony tied a rope at the end of the bag, flapping her wings she settled the bag on a thick branch on a tree above and tied the rope to secure it. Alia lay on a branch adjacent to the burdened one and called down to me.

"I don't think ya want to sleep down there, some Dogs may come by."

"Could you help me up there?" I called back.

"I'm already laying down, come up here yourself."

I muttered under my breath as I hoisted my belongings onto my back and tried climbing the tree. It took awhile but I managed to get a decent height. Even tough made it up abut twenty feet, Alia was still higher up. I grumbled as I used the jackets to make a makeshift rope to tie myself to the branch with a wool blanket for warmth. Once secured, I tried to sleep.

"Ya not used to sleepin' in trees?" Alia asked sleepily.

"No, not really...it's weird," I groaned.

I heard her chuckle before I fell into a dreamless sleep.

In the days that followed we went toward Alia's manor. She wore her armor almost the entire time, even sleeping in it. For 'safety' she said. At first I thought the idea of a settlement run by a mercenary was silly but it would be my home for some time. The fact that a settlement run by a pony, even a hybrid, was impossible to me.From what she told me it was in an old river basin and was the first farm to get the spring thaw's rain. Now I knew she was crazy, a pony having such a good spot for a manor?

We walked through the pine forest and eventually the mountains were behind us like a pack monolithic giants. The land away from those towers of rock was patched green and flat . A dirt road led us away from the mountains to some mounds in the distance. The rocks were the only landmarks in the tall dry grass, save the occasional tree which grew in patches. The mounds in the distance was a town with windmills and was full of griffons. They called it Breeze because of the powerful air current that plowed overhead; they used the town as a rest stop for fliers, merchants and messengers.

Alia told me her manor wasn't to far past the town. I asked her why she didn't fly over to the manor in stead of walking, she pointed to the cracked suit of armor and I smiled dumbly. As we went through Breeze, I got a lot of grimaces and dirty looks from the griffons and even ponies. Almost every pony I saw had a collar or a bridle on their muzzles. A few had a blank glossy stare like some washed up fish, I knew for a fact those ponies were the...'livestock' kind.

A three week journey came to an end and Alia's manor was in view. It had large wood structure at the center and a few small fields with an orchard next to it. The closer we got, the more detail I could see. The manor house had a simple but strong looking design and a few smaller houses around it in a grid pattern. On the east side were the small fields and on the west side was the orchard.

I felt a little sick when I saw her workers, they were slaves like the ponies in town. I saw four mules in her field with heavy plows in tow with that fish-like stare. Alia lead me to one of the smaller houses that had a hefty brick chimney. Going around the corner I saw it was a blacksmith shop. There was a barrel chested sand yellow stallion behind an anvil pounding on a piece of metal with a hammer. Behind him hung several metal things such as ax heads, pitch fork heads, sword blades, all decently made. Alia took off her helm and waited for him to look up.

Eventually he did and I saw a forge and time worn face of an older stallion with a graying ginger mane. He put down his hammer and wiped soot from his face,"Afternoon Lady Bufordox," His voice was gruff," I'm glad to see you back, is there anything I can do for you today?"

"Aye, Smelter. I need ya to repair my armor. It's been cracked since last time I was here."

"Oh dear. I'll do what I can but you've really gone and banged it up...if your lordship permits, we don't have very much coal left for this kind of thing...my apologies."

"Oh shut it. Just tell me what else the manor is running low on."

Smelter shifted his weight,"Well...there's flour, salt, coal, iron, lumber and wheat seeds." The blacksmith muttered.

"Wheat seeds? Flour? I've got a whole wheat field out there," Alia fumed.

"Bad season last year. Didn't rain for a whole four months...dried the whole thing up. I'm surprised the apple orchard is still alive." Smelter smiled.

"I understand that but why are Sammy and his brothers still tilling the field?" Alia groaned.

"While you were gone I planted barley. Those mules wanted ale so bad they've been tending the fields even with the drought we've had."

"Alright, alright. There's a few things I need to catch up on," Alia said hurriedly,"Pea, help me get this armor off. I miss my bed in the big house and I'm rather worn out."

Undoing her armor straps was rather easy and once she left Smelter went to work. I leaned on the framework of the shop while Smelter heated up the forge. It was a few moments before he decided to chat.

"So, your name's Pea Gravel?" Smelter asked eyeing a forearm piece.

"Yes sir," I said quietly.

"No reason to call me sir, I'm a slave. You don't seem like your...how would the best way sound...owned."

"I guess not, Alia called me her 'squire' on the way out here," I said bashfully.

"Squire huh?" He said holding the armor close to the forge with tongs to heat it up,"You're a lucky one. The best a slave like us here can get is stuff to call our own. Or just have an owner like Master Bufordox, she's very kind despite her...jaded attitude."

"Us? How many slaves are out here?" I asked with a grimace.

"Well...there's me, Jimmy and his three brothers, Sweet Summer, and Dew Berry. Sometimes critters looking for work stop by during harvest time with the mercenaries Alia hired to keep us safe when she's gone," He chatted while merging the crack in the armor,"Come to think of it, I think you'd like Dew Berry. She's about the same age as you...I think..."

"Where is she?" I asked attentively.

"She's the house maid and Alia's personal cook. I'm pretty sure lil' Dew would be in the Big House making something for the mistress to eat. Don't bother waiting here or anything, I'm going to be just working on this until curfew so go ahead."

"Okay...see you later Smelter!" I giggled as I headed for the Big House.

"One more thing," He called before I went too far," The well is beside the big house, you should wash up before going inside."

I took his advice and found a small well near the big house. I fished out the bucket inside to wash the dirt and grime off me. After that I went for the inside of the house. The door was unlocked and the 'receiving' room had an ornate carpet under a rafter filled ceiling. There were a few doors and the one at the far end had tantalizing smells coming from it.

I followed the wafting smells to a brick built kitchen. Dried vegetables hung from the ceiling along with pots and pans. There was a long table at the center covered in a cook's mess. A young red mare with a sky blue mane chopping turnips. She had a deep blue patterned bandanna keeping her long straight hair from her face as she worked.

"Food's not going to be done for another few hours Sweets," She din't even look up from her work,"No snacks either, you'll spoil your appetite," She said in a collected voice.

"Ummm...I'm not Sweets. I'm Pea Gavel, Alia's squire," I said.

I saw her teal eyes when her face shot up,"You? Alia told me you were some kind of natural born fighter."

"Yeah...and?"

"Well, ponies are more...domestic creatures," The red mare said,"Ponies are born to work, not fight."

"I've worked on a ranch. I hated it," I grumbled.

"A pony not wanting to serve is like a bee avoiding flowers. It's plain silly," the mare huffed.

"Okay, I take it you're One of the newer 'helpers' around for this time of year then?"

"No, I'm Dew Berry. Their tending the orchard," She glared at me," So were you after something?"

"Food, I'm starving," I giggled greedily.

"Absolutely not. Just because you're a squire doesn't mean you can eat before the rest of us. The soup should be done in about two hours."

"Gaaah! Two hours?" I cried,"What have you got to eat that isn't soup?"

"You could go for an apple outside," Dew went back to chopping turnips,"If you want to help you could put bit of ginger into the pot," She nodded to a fire spit with a cauldron over it at the far end of the kitchen,"Spices are in the pantry cabinet near the cauldron."

"Tsk, nah. I think I'll pass," I said turning to leave. Once I was facing the main door again a wiz then a thud was heard from my right ear. I looked and saw the knife Dew was using stuck in the wood door frame. I spun my head in her direction.

"What the hell...are you out of your god damn mind?!" I shouted.

"Sorry...I thought I saw a fly. My bad," She smirked and put the vegetables on a plate to put in the pot.

"You bet your bad," I grumbled.

Later that day Alia showed me to my cabin. It was small and quaint but dry. She let me place my things inside but had devilish smile.

"Kiss your old self good bye," she grinned,"Tomorrow we start training."

In the days that followed Dew and I became more...mutual, we both were in our thirteenth year now. In a open part of the orchard Alia began training me how to use a sword. We used some of the spare lumber to make wooden paddles we used to batter one another. Once sword practice was over I had to do laps around the manor, fields and all. My daily schedule became a organized hell.

-Wake up at the crack of dawn and scarf down what was left over from the day before or cook something my self. Alia and I were the only one's up then.

-Ten laps around the Big House.

-Multiple exercises that would 'bulk me up like a mule', according to Alia.

-Once the sun had been out for awhile we would start sword practice. Every week we switched weapon types; axes, spears maces, that sort of thing. She told me to use everything that wasn't nailed to the ground to win.

-At noon I was granted a break, after a run of coarse. Every ten laps meant an hour of break time, so I pushed myself to twenty laps around the manor property.

-At break time I lay under a tree or inside depending on how hot it was. Here Dew would bring me a cool rag for my head and some apples. I felt bad, I was so exhausted most of the time I couldn't even thank her. She didn't seem to mind.

-After break time I tilled the fields or tended garden and orchard. Here I got to spend time with Sweet Summer. She was a ditzy green mare with a blonde mane and a sun hat on every day. Her nectarine eyes seemed paranoid somehow and she always talked about and issue with the weather, even if it was a pleasant day outside.

-Once it grew dark dinner came around and I wolfed down my rations. I was allowed three hours of a 'night break' before curfew at eight. Here I got to spend more time with Dew. She always was ready to listen to what I had to say, even if it was a smart ass remark. She'd just throw another right back. Occasionally if I had the remaining energy, I would tell on of my father's stories about grand adventure and larger then life ponies being heroes, Dew found them unlikely but entertaining.

-Curfew hit and I crashed into sleep until the grueling cycle continued.

This went on for two years. In the later part of the first year I had to wear Alia's armor in every exercise, let's just say I'm more of a leather kinda gal.

One night  while small clouds of fire flies droned through the hot night air, Dew visited my cabin. I was laying on my straw filled nap sack drained of the day's work and seemed a bit surprised when she came in. In the two years of my training she had slimmed out and...puffed up in certain places. I felt a bit awkward being as muscular as most fit stallions while she was becoming well endowed .

"Pea, do you have a moment?" she asked quietly.

"Sure bud, come on inside," I said sitting up. I hung my hind legs over the edge of the bed and patted a spot next to me. Dew walked over and sat down slowly.

"You seem bummed out Dew, what's wrong?" I asked worriedly.

"I overheard Master Bufordox talking with a shady looking griffon. He told her about a raiding mission being funded by the Sand Boars to get a foot hold on this side of the mountains...she's bringing you with her."

"That's great!" I slapped her on the back,"My first mercenary job, this'll be a cake walk!"

Dew had a solemn look,"Didn't you hear me? I said 'Sand Boars', as in the ones you lived under and parents died because of. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

I sat in thought,"I don't have anything against them, just the one at the ranch. Once I see his flab of a face I'm going to make it a pancake," Dew groaned at me," What? You don't believe me?"

"Oh I do it's just that...were only fifteen and I've seen you pull a plow almost as good as Jimmy. All I can do is cook and clean...and a bit of sewing."

"Hey, I can't sew shit and I'd probably burn a salad if I was cooking," I smiled reassuringly.

"Thanks Pea, but you're not the least bit worried about the mission?" Dew sighed.

"Nah, I'll be fine. You better make me a good victory meal though," I smirked.

Dew seemed amazed at my lack of worry at the upcoming event. She bade me good night and went back to the big house. I knew it was nine because all of the porch lamps on the cabins were dimmed out, curfew time. I lay back on my straw bed looking up at the ceiling in thought. "What's going to happen?", I asked myself,"Am I going to survive this or was Alia right, am I just going to get eaten alive out there?"

A knock came from the door.

"It's curfew Dew," I whispered,"You'll get in trouble if your out here."

"Aye, she would,"Alia's voice came from behind the door,"But she's not here. It's just ol' Alia."

I scrambled to the door and opened it for her,"Yes mam'? What can I do for you?"

"I came to tell ya about a job opportunity. I've talked with a client about a fort this side of the mountains that a certain fort that a Sand Boar noble has his eyes on. Interested?"

"When do we start?" I asked brashly.

"We set off tomorrow. Get some rest, that's the last bed you're going to sleep on for a while." Alia yawned.

"Alright, see you tomorrow," I said. Alia nodded and walked through the hot summer night back to the big house. I went back to my bed and now seemed much more tired.

The next morning, or before dawn, Alia drug me out of bed. She was in her full suit of armor that was freshly polished. I stared groggily at her and she tossed something heavy at me. It landed on my lap and I saw a set studded leather armor. I blinked with disbelief at it.

"I've been meaning to give this to you, but now you need it," Alia said.

"So we're leaving?" I asked.

Alia nodded," Put it on, I'll wait outside for you. I got one of the mules already packed up with supplies."

The dragon pony left my cabin and I began putting on my new armor. It felt confining on me but not so much I couldn't fight in it. I left my cabin with a dizzy head. I was really going to do this. I saw Alia standing near by with one of the mules who had several packs, bags, spears and swords. He had a bridle in his squared off mouth. I met up with them and we set off with the sun rising behind us. Before we were to far away I turned to look at the manor again and found a surprise. There was Dew Berry, Smelter, Sweet Summer ans the other three mules all waving to me. I felt a swell of pride and a bit of sadness. I had to make it, for my mentor and for them.

I looked back at Alia,"So how much are we getting paid for this?" I asked.

"What a greedy pig ya are," Alia chuckled,"If you survive theirs forty pieces of silver waiting for you. Their's also a twenty gold piece award for the commanding dog in the fort. He's a gnoll from the south."

"A gnoll?" I asked vacantly.

"You know what a Diamond Dog is right?" Alia sighed.

"Yeah, it's like a dog but they walk on two legs and talk like us."

"Eeeh...close enough. Well a gnoll is like one of them but bigger and heartless. I'd rather fight fifty Dimoders then a big gnoll like the one in that fort."

I cringed. Something that makes Alia intimidated? That's no good, but I can't disobey her. She already signed up for the job and I'm her squire.

"How far away is the fort?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Its close to the mountains about  a hundred and sixty miles north west from Breeze. It'll be a good long hike," She chuckled.

It took about three days of no conversation to reach the rendezvous camp where the rest of the mercenaries we were going to work with. It was a massive camp with a thousand mercenaries. Alia had her mule set up a tent while she led me to the center of the camp to confirm we were fighting. We walked through the makeshift alleys with several angry eyes looking back on us. I saw goats, caribou, pigs, and a few minotaurs and griffons. The only ponies I saw were several carnahorses that smiled at me with their razor teeth. We reached the center tent that had two minotaur guards. They were ready to stop us from entering but a learned voice called from inside.

"Ahh, Bufordox. You've come at last! Come in, come in!"

The guards stepped away and we entered. Inside there was a large pig with a purple robe trimmed in gold. He sat on an immensely cushy green pillow with several ponies fanning him. In his hoof he had a goblet of wine and a elated grin on his face.

"You haven't changed a bit, Bufordox. Tell me, who's your little friend? Is she your slave or are you just being unnecessarily kind to me?' He asked eyeing me.

"Nay, she's not a slave. This pony is my squire," The pig half choked on his wine hearing this,"Her name is Pea Gravel."

"Good afternoon your Excellency," I bowed,"I'll be honored to aid in the capture of the admirable fortress you've set your ever keen eyes on." I said humbly. Alia raised an eyebrow at my smooth talking.

"How wonderful! You've taught your pet well. I think it's fascinating a pony can speak so eloquently!" The pig chortled.

"Your lordship, when do we begin the siege?" Alia asked.

"The siege itself has already been afoot for several weeks, I called upon your services because the whole thing may go out of hoof. Now that your here we can start our assault upon that mutt infested fortress. I wouldn't want to begin without my favorite dragon pony!" The pig smirked after a sip of wine,"Now if you want to socialize with the rabble be my guest. With the skill of that dammed gnoll I don't believe most of them will survive."

With that we nodded and left the pig to his drinking. Being in a mercenary camp made me feel uncomfortable but I had to tough it out for Alia, for everyone at the manor, for Dew.

...I felt sick, siting in the war camp. The smell of cooked flesh and the growl of battle-hungry creatures prodded my senses. I lay on a canvas cot, trying to keep a straight face as Alia sat across from me. She slurped at some soup, I could tell she enjoyed the taste. I lay waiting for the battle, falling asleep as the sun came down.

"Wake up, you,"I heard Alia whisper,"We're off!"

I sat up groggily, a sliver in the tent flap showed me it was still dark. Alia dropped a sword half my length in front of me, then my leather armor. I busied myself with getting in the armor then followed Alia into the dark midnight camp. In the minimal light, I could see the glimmer of steel or iron arms and armor shuffling through the night. My knight and I joined up in the growing mass.

Being so close together, I could smell sweat and blood from the other mercenaries. Only a handful of torches were lit, one in particular was held by Dobervitch, our client.

"My loyal ungulates, were gathered here tonight to take a fortress that rightfully belongs to us," His flaunting voice was quiet in the night air but his audience heard every word,"If you follow the plan I hath constructed, failure is impossible. I have sent my pegsi servants a ways away to the far side of the fortress, to create a favorable gust of wind."

Alia whispered over to me,"The way he's talking, ya's swear he was coming with us," We both stifled a laugh.

"This wind will damper the sound of our forces," Dobervitch continued,"We'll be down wind of those dog's rotten noses, so their most favored sense will be useless. My informant told me of a weak region on the south-west side of the wall. I will send Dren and Mutcher," He motioned to a minotuar and a crow headed griffon,"They will take their forces to the main gate with the mangonels I've provided to batter down the main force while you, Alia, pierce the South-west end."

The agreement was silent and the mass of mercenaries split into three groups, each almost two hundred strong. The one's that followed the griffon Dren were all some type of fleet creature or one of flight. Mutcher's were all mules, some small diamond dogs and other minotaurs. The ones that followed Alia along side me were regular ponies, goats, two burly boars and a pack of carnahorses. Seeing the shark toothed equines band up behind me made my hair stand on end.

The sudden gust of wind startled all of us. It was a steady gale that blew leaves violently through the night air. Dobervitch smiled and with a silent nod we doused the few torches. The three groups went their separate ways to the dog run fortress. Walking through the night air, I realized Dobervitch was right. We were walking through a leaf floored forest but the crunch couldn't reach my ears over the gale. I asked if Alia could hear it, but she had a hard time hearing me!

The march tensed every muscle in my body, I wasn't sure if I was ready for a siege like this. Through the trees ahead we saw the light of brazens on the fortress' battlements the south-went end in perfect view. Again Dobervitch was correct, I had never seen a stone wall in such disrepair. It had a gate house, or a big hole that could be considered one. There was a catch to the weak spot though, It was being patrolled by a dozen of heavily armored D Dogs with great-swords, axes and maces in their mighty paws. Alia drew a wing up slightly, motioning her company to halt. I was surprised at how quickly they followed her orders.

She looked back to them and called just slightly over the gale,"Sit tight an' wait, lads. Rush the gate 'ouse on my signal!"

Ducking behind trees, bushes and anything else, it seemed like the company disappeared. Alia and I sat behind a thick shrub at the front lines, watching the battlements carefully. The smell being wafted from the fortress didn't help with my already sick stomach.

Like planned, rocks flew from the sky onto the battlements and other side of the walls from us. All of the D Dog guards on our end of the fortress scrambled around in a panic. Shouts of battle and cries of pain met my ears from the far side of the wall, light from oil fire now lit up the night sky in a deadly yellow-red glow. Almost all of the D Dog guards at the South-West corner ran to assist the main fight, not knowing that the fort's down fall would be right where they stood. Only eight armored dogs were left on the ground, while ten stood up on the walls. Sadly for me, the biggest and meanest looking dogs were the ones left.

Alia smiled a grim smile under her helm. Waving her tail up in slightly, she summoned a squad of archers. They were pegsi armed with crossbows fit for flying with. Alia pointed to the ten remaining guards left on the wall, the rest of us would deal with the armored dogs. The pegsi loaded and aimed their weapons, each with a dog in their sight. They were ridged, awaiting Alia's signal. With a wave of her claw, six dogs dropped dead with bolts buried in very necessary places. The other four readied their log bows and aimed fire tipped arrows at the forest. Due to the amount of wind blowing and how dry these woods were this could potentially catch the forest on fire. I knew as well as Alia did, we couldn't run two hundred warriors out of a blaze without heavy casualties.

Alia screamed to charge and rocketed up into the air. I was left in a dust cloud on the ground while the dragon pony soared to the wall. The mercenaries rushed past me, pounding hooves against the ground, shouting and waving their weapons as they charged the eight armored dogs. I watched Alia get struck with two arrows and land on the battlements, she slaughtered the archers in mere seconds. I could do nothing but follow and draw the sword sheathed at my side.

I held the sharp iron weapon in my jaws as I ran alongside my equine cousins. The armored Diamond Dogs barked savagely at us, though they faced two hundred foes. Thankfully I wasn't still in the front lines, seeing the Diamond Dogs fight would make any right-thinking pony turn tail and run.

One with pig tusks on his helm swung a great sword that ripped through three ponies in one strike, leaving decrepit corpses to fall back to earth. Through bodies being thrown around I saw the Diamond Dogs beat our forces back relentlessly. A mace swing flattened anypony it touched and seeing grey matter paste the ground and life blood paint steel woke up an animal in me. The same animal that hacked away at the carnahorse so many years ago. Jumping thought the deterred pony ranks I had my sword at the ready.

As The tusk helmeted dog ran a carnahorse through, I sprung into the air. Time seemed to freeze, my sword nearing the dog's exposed maw. I felt the force of the iron sword hit under his jaw and sink through then jut out the other side. He wobbled, gurgling and coughing as I stood on his chest still holding my sword. Deep red blood oozed from the wound and off his back, his might paw dropping his over sized sword to the stained ground.

The battle didn't stop just for me, but it felt like it. I strained to pull my sword out from his neck then he fell to the ground with a thud. Having a newly painted weapon in use, I ran again. I now targeted the other dog's ankles as I hauled ass to the gate house. Chopping though flesh, I felt accomplished and alive as I ran to the gate house, the first one to reach it. Out from behind the wall where none of us could see, a diamond dog waited with a gut wound and a rock. He was positioned to hit the first thing he saw before he bleed out. Unfortunately, that last thing was me. In a split second, I saw him and the rock. A heft crack met my head and everything went black...

With a splitting headache, I pushed myself off the bloodied ground. I saw that I had been out for a while, the fighting was now in the main hold instead of in the court yard or outside the walls. I felt a river of red pool of my head, but a simple wound like that couldn't stop me from quitting. Now thinking clearly? Out the window.

I staggered though the court yard, tripping over the mangled bodies of ponies and dogs alike. My sword felt heavy at my side, but the adrenaline and lust for blood drug me forward. After several agonizing meters, I reached in keep. The doors were knocked off their hinges and the faint sounds of fighting came from within. Running from burned out buildings in the courtyard, dozens of ponies ran my direction. None of there were armored, all of them had some sort of collar on their necks. I knew that ex-slaves were running past me, saving a few ponies made our bloody work a bit more justified...right?

I went through and found a blood bath in the great hall; tables knocked over, wood supports burning, bodies stung everywhere and even a few unlucky survivors. Suddenly Dren, the crow headed griffon,flew past me to the exit squealing in a battered panic. I moved at a faster pace and found he was running from a flight of stairs. Downward stairs.

The painful cries grew louder and more agonizing the nearer I got. I found some mashed meat bits, possibly a goat? I ventured down the stairs with my sword still drawn, it scrapped the blood stained stone wall as I moved downward. After climbing over a pile of dead diamond dogs on the stairs I finally reached the bottom. What met me at the bottom was a steel spring trap snapping against my right hoof.

I dropped my sword from my mouth in sheer shock, then bit my lip to hold back a scream of pain. I knew if I was loud at all, it'd be the death of me. Looking down I saw the clamp biting into my leg, I cursed over and over under my breath. I reached for my sword and tried to pry the trap open. It gave way slightly, but I had to endure the sounds of somepony being eaten alive down the hall while doing so.

After what felt like a lifetime, I finally freed myself. My hoof was shot for use so I just limped down the hall, nearing the source of the commotion. With growling and screams echoing off the stone walls, I gimped over to a lit doorway.

It looked like the door to a large treasury, silver coins and blood covered the floor while torches illuminated the grizzly scene. I crept slowly to the entrance and made a peek inside. I saw twenty of Alia's mercenaries surrounding a giant brown D Dog, it made a twisted hyena-like laugh. With it's bare hands it mashed and threw the armored ponies like rag dolls, painting the walls and floor in crimson. The dog bit, ripped, slashed and tore at his foes that stood knee high to his girth. He wasn't the only one in there...

I got one good look at it and it was no normal Diamond dog. These were Gnolls, the most ferocious kind of bipedal dog that I knew, the kind that made Alia cringe. Their faces were that of a hyena, hence their cruel laughter. With specked brown fur covered in chain mail and thick leather, their size was Herculean compared to even a large Diamond Dog.

Further in I saw Mutcher near another one of the beastly dogs. The other Gnoll squared off Mutcher. They circled each other, the Gnoll with a flail and the minotuar with his ax. Though Mutcher was a massive creature, one who could easily fit my face in his palm, he seemed...afraid of these things.

The Gnoll howled with pale yellow eyes and drooling maw, Mutcher took his chance to strike. He swung in from an upward angle and landed a devastating blow the Gnoll's shoulder, almost carving the dog's arm off. Mutcher smiled but was met with a clamped jaw to his arm. He grunted in pain with the crushing strength of the Gnolls jaws dug deep into his beefy arm. With his free arm Mutcher pulled out a dagger and hacked away at the gnoll's neck until it let go. Of course, letting go meant the thing was long dead and it's jaw pried off from Mutcher's arm. His luck was thinning out though.

The other Gnoll grabbed his comrade's flail, skillfully sneaking behind Mutcher's back the Gnoll quickly wrapped the chain around Mutcher's wide neck. Though a naturally blue skinned creature, seeing a minotaur suffocate is a sickening sight. I had enough, with my sword ready to swing, I ran into the gore covered room with a vengeance.

The dead body of Mutcher was thrown at me, toppling me over. The dead weight of him nearly crushed me, only to be lifted by something worse. The Gnoll lifted me up by my hind leg with ease, holding me up head height. Without thinking I twisted my head violently to attempt a strike with my sword. He laughed his daunting laugh and ripped the sword away from me. Tossing it aside the gnoll laughed.

Now that I got a good look at him, his crooked teeth smiled through scarred lips. With one of his eyes gouged out and half an ear missing, I wondered what could do that to something like him. I darted my eyes to see if I had any comrades near by, feeling cold seeing that were the only two breathing creatures in the mass tomb.

"Who hired you, who's your boss?!" I shouted at him.

He blinked his one eye,"Buss?" His accent as heavy handed as his attacks,"Gut no buss. Gimbl iz own buss."

"Just wait till you meet mine," I threatened,"You'll shit yourself when you get cut down by her swords!"

Her cackled,"Oooh, liddle horsey iz scaring!" He used my leg as a handle, he hammered my body to the ground. My already injured head had a fracture now. He drooled looking at my bloodied head,"Oooh, iz Gimbl scaring horsey now?"

I coughed out a bit of blood to spit in his ugly face. He snarled and threw me into the nearby wall, how many rocks were going to hit me tonight? He thought I was dead, and at this point who wouldn't, and he shuffled around looting the corpses around the room. My body felt like it was falling apart. It twitched occasionally but not in a paralyzed way, thank god.

While 'Gimble' stuffed silver into his bags and pockets, I found a spiked steel hoof-gauntlet on a corpse nearby. I reached for it carefully, fitting loosely on my left hoof. I smiled grimly awaiting the Gnoll to come closer.

He hunched over some of the ponies near me, picking through the gore for trinkets. His ugly mass was about eight feet away and I felt a new surge of energy. I jumped on top of his head, jabbing out his only eye. He howled furiously and grabbed at me, luckily I was swifter then his paws could swipe. I backed away as he scraped and clawed the air and stone.

He stopped suddenly and sniffed at the air, I forgot about his nose! He had a hard time finding me among the others but he began following me blindly as I tried to avoid him. While moving, I tripped on a hatchet. A hatchet perfect for being thrown into Gnoll noses.

Standing up with the hatchet I threw it at the Gnoll's face. It must have been my lucky day since it now was sticking out of his snout. He thrashed around with rage and cursed at the top of his lungs. I found my sword from Alia in the mess and with a jump on his back, shoved the finishing blow though the Gnoll's spine. I stood on top of the muscular mound that was Gimble still holding my sword in my clenched jaws. Blood still pumped throughout my body, oozing from gashes and my fractured skull. I stood for awhile just breathing and stared at nothing. (I was told this by someone else, I don't remember it myself because my mind was fogged completely) Some ponies following Dren ran down the stairs and scrambled into the room. They were all aghast at the sight of several dozen dead ponies and me ridged in stance. Dren, who ran from the Gnolls at first sight, strutted up to me. He climbed over the Gnoll's head and stood a few feet away from me.

"Squire?" He asked,"Squire can you hear me?"

My sword practically moved on it's own, pointing itself at Dren's neck. He shrunk back away from me. My mint colored eyes pierced at the griffon,"Where's Bufordox?"

He pointed a shaky black talon upwards,"I-in  the main hall...mam."

I sheathed my blade and walked with heavy hooves to the stairwell. Dren and his followers cleared out from my path. Once behind me they set off to the silver for their pockets. My mind slowly sobered up the further up I went in the stairwell. I walked into the hall to find the rest of the mercenaries I fought with in an uproar, shouting threats and curses. They were all in a tight packed ring like children looking at a school fight. Not wanting to be in the dark, I shoved my way in through the crowd to see. I wasn't happy with what I saw...

There was an armored diamond dog holding himself over a litter of pups. His mastiff looking head snarled at the ponies poking swords at him. At a closer look the chain mail he was wearing was soaked in his own blood, he would be dying any moment now. Across the ring, Alia pushed through the crowd. She looked at the diamond dog with cold eyes, the dog knew what would happen next when she stepped forward. The din of the mercenary crowd died down when Alia drew a sword, the dog made a small whimper. The dragon pony flicked the sword and the diamond dog's mastiff head dropped from his shoulders. His bloodied body dropped next to the litter of pups he was protecting, who only now realized what was going on.

Several clung to the still warm body, while one turned and growled at Alia. The lone pup scratched at the ground and bared her teeth at the dragon pony. Alia's face was a stature if indifference. I cringed when she whacked the pup over the head with the flat of her blade. The small dog rolled from the blow and lay grimly still. The mercenaries looked to Alia and the dragon pony popped her neck.

"Bag up the ones that don't fight you, kill the ones that bite," She looked over to my side. Dren moved to the front without me noticing. Alia made a glance to the still pup,"You, bird, will go an' find the other pups hidden in this hold. If I know anything about these mutts is that they hide their children like they hide the gems they chew on."

Dren nodded and darted off down a doorway in the grate hall's walls.  Some of the mercenaries grabbed the live pups by the nape while others followed Dren. Soon it was just me, Alia and the two dead dogs. I had a look of disgust. Partly because I knew something like this was bound to happen but felt abhorrent to it.

Alia sheathed her sword and took off her helm,"Ya have to get them while their young," She said looking at the pup,"If ya wait too long they become savage. 'Tis a win-win deal, bein' young their appealing to buyers and an be trained."

I looked away from the dead dogs,"How many pups have you sold?"

"Personally? I've never sold one," She said flicking her mane,"I've brought more stock to merchants then I can count though."

The rest of that night was a blur. I remember a vague victory party and was credited for the death of two gnolls, shit ton of silver for me. There was a trip to the field medic who patched my cracked head up with the grace that only a unicorn mare could give. After that I remember Dobarvitch holding an auction. Since the fort was now his, all that was still in it that wasn't looted already, and was his to sell. There were pieces of armor, weapons, vases and jewels. After that there was a slave auction.

Even in my state, I was shocked. I'm not a mare who's never seen slaves but there were innocent prisoners of war up on the block. All of the fort's mates and pups were lined up and chained. I say all but I wouldn't know since we had so many hungry carnahorses in our midst. I saw absolute fear and confusion on the pup's faces and complete defeat on the females. Dobervitch pointed and auctioned them off like the tables and chairs he sold earlier at near the same cheap  prices.

Alia did nothing but say proud things about me all the way back to her manor. Once back I was met with open arms and a hot meal. Sitting safely at the table, Dew Berry gave me special stew made just for me. Unlike the rip-roaring drunk celebration at the conquered fort, the one at Alia Bufordox's manor was much quieter. After the party, everypony went off to bed. As I lay, images of the blood I gave and shed burned into my mind. I thought of Alia as a social distant, but now I saw how really cold she truly was.