“What are we doing here?” Anvil said as he walked down the streets of Prancy. Hammer turned to him, inspecting him over. He placed his spear in the ground and stopped.
“Well Anvil, if I must repeat myself, we’re at war with the Griffon Empire. The people are still being terrorized by the griffons, and the city is contested with them. We must ensure the people are protected because we’re guards, and it’s our sworn duty to defend them. That,” Hammer said with confidence, “is why we’re here,” His companion raised an eyebrow, giving an unamused look.
“No Hammer, what I mean is, why are we on this patrol? Just look around us, the whole town is abandoned.” Anvil waved a hoof around them and Hammer inspected their surroundings. Indeed the whole town was essentially desolate and many homes had either burned down or buildings that were nearly destroyed. Hammer shook his head.
“Anvil, Lieutenant Quicksilver ordered us to keep watch of this part of town and make sure no enemy gets past us. We’re patrolling the area for any signs of the enemy, ” Hammer tried to explain but his friend rolled his eyes.
“Please, spare me that. We’re wasting our time,” Anvil said as he moved away from Hammer. “I wish I was back in Canterlot, having a roll in the hay with a nice mare. I didn’t want to be caught up in this war.”
“We’re not the aggressors here. The Griffons are to blame, and we're here to push them back.”
“Oh, such patriotism. Such loyalty and charisma. I’m already bored out of my mind already.”
“Shut it. I don’t want to hear any more of this,” Hammer stated as he tried to walk on, but Anvil didn’t move. Hammer looked at him and saw that his friend was staring at what appeared to be several broken bookshelves. At least two dozen books were scattered all around them, containing many torn pages and overturned scrolls.
“You know, if I was a writer I could make something about just the two of us. You can be the main character and I’ll be the wise mentor that you would happily ignore.”
“Anvil, be quiet,” Hammer said more firmly. His ears went down in annoyance.
Anvil drowned on. “I could see us now, at the end of the line of the mess hall. Two Earth pony guards without a care in the world, and when we finally get to the end of the line tragedy will strike. All of the best dishes are taken and we’re left with a few leftovers, and we use nothing more than wooden spoons to eat up the scraps. Also, in case you are wondering, I’m being sarcastic!”
Hammer turned around and grabbed his friend, pulling at his chest armor.
“Would you shut up and listen!” Hammer almost yelled, giving a stern look to his companion. Anvil blinked several times and took a breath, calming his nerves slightly.
“Hammer, you know I tend to go overboard you know. You should really...” He was cut off when Hammer placed a hoof over his mouth, silencing him.
“Do you hear that?” Hammer said quietly, his ears pointing at a nearby alley way. Anvil moved his ears in the direction of the noise, and he too could hear something, a faint whimper. With their training kicking in, they moved cautiously forward, spears at the ready. They entered inside with caution, preparing themselves for anything, as the whimpering grew slightly louder and a small voice coming around the corner. Hammer turned to Anvil and nodded to move in. They turned the corner, spears raised, and they froze at the sight before them. A small thin filly hid behind a crate, with fear deep in her eyes.
“It’s a little girl.” Hammer relaxed slightly, staring down at the small white unicorn. She had a light pink mane that went down the side of her face and violet eyes. The more he stared at her the more frightened she became, and she shirked away behind the crate.
“Well what is she doing here? This whole area was supposed to be deserted,” Anvil said as he lowered his spear, yet kept his guard up.
“There could have been stragglers; maybe she got separated,” Hammer suggested. Anvil only shrugged his shoulders.
“Well what are we supposed to do, take her with us?” Anvil said as he moved toward her; the filly squeaked slightly and tried to hide behind the crate.
“Anvil, don’t,” Hammer observed. Anvil shook his head at him she moved closer.
“She’s fine, she has nothing to worry about…” He reached a hoof out to grab hold of her, however something unexpected seized him instead. She lunged her head and bit hard onto his hoof. He yelped back in surprise and held his hoof in anger.
“The little runt bit me!” he cursed, ready to pounce. Hammer put a hoof in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.
“Stop it. You’re scaring her,” Hammer said as he turned to the filly once more, and he could see that she was visibly shaking. He slowly approached her, placing his spear on the ground, and removed his helmet.
“Easy Hammer, she might turn and bite you,” Anvil warned. Hammer didn’t listen. Instead, he placed his helmet down, his blue mane hanging low over his head.
“It’s okay little one. See, I’m just like you,” he said as he tapped his chest with his hooves. He gave a warm smile, and the filly stepped out slightly from behind the crate. His eyes widened in horror to see that her body had little cuts and bruises and he could clearly see her ribs.
“Poor thing is half starved,” Hammer said, as the filly went moved a little further toward them. “Hey, you still have some rations on you?”
Without a reply Anvil hoofed in his saddlebag and pulled out an apple, grumbling as he tossed it to his companion. Hammer turned to the filly and offered the apple to her. She eyed it hungrily, her eyes widening slightly. She quickly snatched it up and began devouring it. Hammer pitied the little filly as she ate. Every bite she took seemed to be pure bliss to her and he could see a bright smile on her face as she finished the small ration. She then pointed her hoof at him.
“Frère. Frère.” She then pointed at Anvil, using the same word. Anvil only shrugged at what it meant but Hammer placed a hoof on his chest.
“I’m Hammer. He’s Anvil,” he said slowly, pointing at his friend behind him. She tilted her head a little and he could only smile at the sight before him. The moment soon passed when Hammer was nudged by his partner, and he turned to see him staring back out of the alleyway.
“Daylight’s burning, Hammer. We can’t stay here.” He looked up in the sky, and it was already late afternoon. It would be another hour or so before the sun would go down.
“Oh, so now you care for the mission?”
“No, I just want to get back before Quicksilver, or even the captain, decides to ring us in for being late,” Anvil stated as he headed back out of the alley.
“What about the filly? We can’t just leave her.” Hammer picked up his gear and followed him out.
“Look, she can’t understand us. She should be fine on her own.”
“And whose fault was it when you slept during those lessons in Prench?” Hammer asked. Anvil looked at him, his face a bit flustered.
“It’s not my fault that the language is hard. Besides you didn’t take it either.”
“You got a point,” Hammer said sheepishly as Anvil shook his head and sighed. “Look she’ll probably run into some of her neighbors or something before this town is secured. It’s best that the people stay out of our way. Let's get going, Hammer,” Anvil stated to which Hammer could only shake his head at him.
“But we’re supposed to help everypony, not push them aside,” he said, hesitant to leave the filly.
“Yeah, well I’m more interested in keeping us alive. Since we’re already deep in enemy territory and we don’t know if they’re watching us, having more numbers will blow our cover. Now let’s get this over with.” Anvil began walking down the road again. Hammer sighed and turned back to the alleyway and saw that the filly was standing right behind him, her eyes inspecting him curiously. He could only give a small smile before apologizing to her. He then turned and followed his companion down the main road, feeling regretful as he walked on. It was only when he started hearing tiny footsteps behind him that his heart was at ease.
****
“She’s following us,” Anvil stated as he and Hammer kept on the road. For the past ten minutes the little filly followed them, hiding behind the nearest cover of debris or empty crates before moving on to a new location. Hammer could only smile at this as she trailed behind them.
“I know Anvil. Just keep moving on,” Hammer said, keeping his pace steady. Anvil narrowed his eyes at him, noticing the smile on his friend’s face and turned his attention to the filly. When he did she quickly hid behind a crate to avoid his gaze.
“Oh great, Hammer, that’s wonderful. Now we have a young filly that were going to have to look out for. All because you offered food. What consequences will be brought on us I wonder?”
“Oh shut up, Anvil. She’s not a liability, she’ll need food and proper lodgings when we get back. We could also try and find her parents, if they’re alive that is,” Hammer said as he kept his attention forward.
“Yeah, but that’s a big if, and I don’t see why we have to… where did she go?” Anvil asked, and the two stopped and saw nothing behind them. The filly was nowhere. Hammer eyed his surroundings, and worry built inside him.
“Ici… frère,” a soft voice came from behind, and the two turned to see the tiny filly standing right in front of them. Hammer could see a small smile on her face, and her tail shook slightly. His smile grew, and he lowered himself until he was in front of her.
“Now how did you get in front of us?” he said as he raised a hoof and touch her nose with his hoof. She giggled at this, and Anvil breathed heavily in annoyance.
“Great, now we're babysitting a filly that can’t understand us and won’t leave our side. This day is going grand.”
“Oh c’mon, Anvil. She only wants a friend,” he said and gave a small grin to the young filly, who eagerly returned one of her own. Anvil could only shake his head in defeat.
“Fine, but we’ve got to hurry back. Daylight’s still burning,”
Hammer went to follow but was stopped when he felt a pull on his leg. He looked down to the little filly who was already running off into an alley.
“Viens frère. Viens.”
“Wait! Come back! That area is not safe!” He went to go after her, but Anvil quickly shouted back.
“Hammer! You can’t go in there!”
“I’m not going to leave her!” Hammer yelled back and headed directly into the alleyway. Anvil slapped a hoof to his head and followed after his companion.
“I’m just trying to keep you alive!” Anvil said as he caught up with Hammer, the two keeping pace as they ran. They watched as the little filly scrambled in and around overturned carts and broken crates in, easily maneuvering through the larger debris of brick and mortar. Despite her malnourished body she was quite a runner. Hammer and Anvil kept following her, kept yelling for her to stop. She didn’t listen and just kept going.
Where is she taking us? Hammer thought as he picked up his speed and leapt over a large crate, slowly closing in the distance to the filly. After several more minutes of running through the maze of alleys, the filly stopped dead center of a three way street. Hammer and Anvil caught up behind her, panting slightly. Anvil looked around and cursed under his breath at their predicament. Hammer only chuckled as he went to the filly’s side.
“Heh, you gave us a scare little one. You’re quite a runner,” he said, knowing that she didn’t understand him. He raised a hoof and gently patted her. She didn’t respond to his touch. Hammer looked at her in concern as Anvil was ranting behind him.
“That’s just great. We’re off the trail and we’re in unknown territory. Oh, curse this bad luck! I should’ve never joined the guard.” Hammer rolled his eyes as his friend continued to rant off.
“We could be back to camp right now and near an open fire,” Anvil groaned, lifting his head up in the air and sighing. “Oh, what I’d give to have a happy mare with me right now. I would just die hap...” He stopped his speech which made Hammer turn to his companion.
“What is it?” Hammer asked as Anvil moved forward. Hammer followed him a short distance and saw him stop near a large trench. Hammer joined his side, and he froze.
Bodies, hundreds of bodies, all piled into the trench.
Hammer’s stomach lurched. The bodies had missing limbs, and a few lopped off heads. Several bodies had been speared or had arrows lodged within them. He saw young colts and stallions with punctured wounds and throats cut. He saw an elderly couple holding each other in the pile, their heads bludgeoned.
The smell was repugnant, and flies were everywhere. Crows and other scavengers picked at the entrails, and they could see tiny stripes of flesh on the sides of their beaks. He turned his head, but not before discovering something that made him shudder in disgust and shock: A mother, clenching her child in her hoofs, both buried under the mass of dead. He took a few nervous steps back and finally turned away. Behind him, he heard Anvil losing his lunch.
How could anypony do such a thing? he thought as he tried to remove the image from his mind but to no avail. How could anypony be this savage, this brutal, this cruel? Why? Just way? his thoughts continued as the imaged remained in his mind.
He went to say something to Anvil when he felt a tug at his left hoof. He froze as he looked down at the filly and saw that she was holding onto him. His thoughts ran rampant as to how she could’ve survived for this long. She pulled at him slightly, pointing a hoof forward towards a home, begging to be followed. Instinctively, he followed her, with Anvil following close behind.
She was walking toward a large house, or what used to be a house. The roof was partially caved in on one end, and the house was cracked and stone pieces were lodged out of its foundation. As he followed her he could see strange markings on the side of the wall. As he inspected them, he couldn’t quite make up what they were, but he got the distinct impression that it was a flower of some sort. As the filly pulled him toward the open doorway he could hear Anvil mumble.
“What are we even doing here,” he said, still contemplating what they witnessed.
Hammer remained silent as the filly entered the house. She let go and slowly went into its center. Hammer inspected his surroundings. Most of the place was abandoned with only a few overturned chairs and broken windows. He took off his helmet and rested his spear on the side. Anvil did the same, allowing his red mane to fall out onto the side of his head. They remained silent and were unsure why they were brought here.
“I could guess that this was her home,” Anvil said as he sat on his haunches, keeping watch of anything outside. Hammer looked at the filly, and she remained still, looking up at the hole in the roof of the home. He took a few steps towards her when something caught his eye. In the center of the kitchen, or what had been a kitchen, was a large part of the collapsed roof. Right underneath the middle of the debris, he saw something that he wished he didn’t see. A white hoof underneath the rubble, with dry blood scattered around the base. His thoughts soon turned to the little filly, and his heart ached for her loss. Swallowing the lump in his throat and taking a step back from the sight, he stepped on something that squeaked.
Looking down he saw it was a small doll of a stallion and it was missing a button on its eye. Picking it up on instinct and brushing away the dust it had collected with his hoof, he went to the filly’s side. She was still looking up at the hole in the roof, not once moving. A pang of guilt hit him, and he felt the need to comfort her. Moving to her side, and bending down to her level, he offered the doll to her. She turned her head and looked first at him, then at the toy. She took it out of his hoofs and sat on her haunches, inspecting the doll as if it were the first time. Hammer could see her eyes beginning to water and she gave a small hiccup. Soon the tears began rolling down the side of her cheeks.
“Maman. Maman,” she quietly sobbed, hugging the doll close to her chest. Hammer again felt the need to comfort her and he quickly moved in to stand in front of her, placing a hoof onto her shoulder.
“It’s okay. We’re here to help,” he spoke calmly, trying his best to reassure her. He lowered his hoof and sat down as the little filly looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. She rubbed her eye, wiping away a few tears. Then she went into him and rested her head against his chest, crying once more. Hammer was stunned, unsure of what to do as the filly cried. He looked at Anvil, who was equally stunned, and back at the filly. Having no other way to respond he wrapped his hooves around the tiny filly and embraced her in a warm hug. He felt her tiny body shake, small shivers rippling up her body as she cried. She spoke softly in her language, muffled by her own tears. Hammer could only hold on as she cried her heart out for her parents. Anvil walked up to both of them and kneeled down until he was at her height. She opened an eye at him as he spoke with much sympathy.
“We’ll protect you little one. We promise,” Anvil said, giving her a compassionate smile. The little filly left Hammer’s embrace and went to his companion. Anvil had his hooves out, and he gently patted her back with his hooves, albeit having an unsure expression on his face.
For several minutes they remained where they were, resting up within the abandoned home. Anvil was sitting in a chair nearby, while Hammer sat on his side with the filly resting in his arms. Her small sniffles and the cold wind outside were the only things that greeted them. Hammer remained where he was, gently petting the filly on the head as she continued to shake in his hoofs. It was the best he could do to comfort her.
“Did I ever tell you that I always wanted to be a writer?” Anvil said, which caused Hammer to turn to him.
“Well that’s out of the blue,” Hammer said, and his friend looked at him with a solemn look.
“It’s true though, Hammer. I always wanted to write and bring my work out there. But… since this war started, everything has changed.” His face was down, and his ears fell flat.
“What’s stopping you from continuing?” Hammer asked as he continued to stroke the little filly.
“I want to write. I wanted to write so much about epic tales, adventures and fanciful works. I wanted to write so much about grand tales of battle. Ever since this war began, since I got recruited with you, I still never gave up. But that… out there...” He pointed a hoof out the window, toward the mass of bodies.
“That changes things. Seeing death and horror wherever we go. I thought if I was on the front lines I would see those grand tales and heroes. Not witness this… slaughter. I don’t think I can write something like this . It’s… it’s too grim.” Anvil lowered his head and rubbed a hoof over his eyes, taking a shaky breath as he did. Hammer looked at him and then at the filly. An idea soon crossed his mind, and he turned to his companion with a smile.
“How about you write a story about Flower?” he asked, causing his friend to look at him in confusion.
“Who?” Anvil asked, and Hammer looked down at the filly.
“You can write a story about Flower here,” he said as he stroked her mane, which caused her to coo to his touch.
“Where did you get a name like that?” Anvil questioned to which Hammer could only chuckle in response.
“The symbol outside her home. That symbol resembles a flower. In a way, this filly here, represents that symbol. A flower that shines even in darkness, a flower that stands out amongst the others. A flower that blooms even when faced against tragedy. She is that symbol of hope, beauty, and kindness. She represents a people that can overcome any strife even when death is at their doorstep. She… Flower… and everypony else deserve better if we tell the good about them,” Hammer finished as he held the filly closer. She rubbed her head into his neck as he rubbed his chin on her head.
“That’s… that’s actually really good, Hammer.” Hammer chuckled at his friend's response.
“What about you Hammer? What do you want to get when this war is over?”
Hammer looked down at the filly and he felt himself smile.
What do I want? Hammer thought as he hugged the filly in his arms, picturing himself with a filly of his own and a wife sitting beside him. In his mind he imagined that it was this filly, the same one he was holding onto. The thought made his smile grow and he continued to let the warm thoughts swirl in his head as he held her.They remained like that for a moment before the filly’s ear flicked up, and her head whirled to look out the window.
“Méchant oiseau,” she quietly said, her ears pinned to her head, her body shaking. Hammer looked to Anvil as his partner hoofed his gear over to him. Anvil gently let go of the filly as he went for his gear, and quickly peered out the window. He cursed under his breath and hid behind a wall.
“Griffons,” he spoke softly as he held his spear to his chest. Hammer joined on the opposite end and peered outside. There were three griffons in the middle of the street. Two were heavily adorned with steel armor, both carrying large halberds, while the one in the middle carried a short sword. The one in the middle wore a light uniform. As he looked at them he could see that they were clearly on the run, but from what, he was not sure. The one in the middle kept speaking softly to the others, but Hammer couldn’t pick up what they were saying.
“Méchant voiseau frère. Méchant oiseau,” he heard her say again. Turning around he saw that the filly was scared, holding onto her doll and backing near a corner of the house. He turned to the side and looked out the window. The griffons were still conversing, speaking low to one another, however, they were slowly coming toward the house.
“Frère,” the filly spoke softly, and Hammer turned to see her pushing a large rock. Before he could say something to her, he noticed Anvil backing away from the wall.
“They’re getting closer. We can’t go against that steel armor, not out in the open,” he said in a low tone, trying to keep himself hidden. Hammer knew what he meant, the griffons had tough armor, a steel plating that couldn’t be cracked easily without assistance from magic or pegasus strength. Because they only had iron spears, they wouldn’t be able to penetrate them as easily. Hammer backed away from the wall and went to the corner of the room with Anvil and the filly.
“Frère,” the filly spoke again, and Hammer looked her in surprise. The large rock she pushed earlier revealed a hidden door. She already was climbing down, leaving her doll behind as she moved. Both Hammer and Anvil looked at each other before turning back toward the approaching griffons, their voices coming much closer. Without a second thought, they quickly descended the ladder. At the bottom was a cellar of some sort, with many empty, assorted boxes along with dozens of empty jars. It appeared to be nothing more than a simple storage room. Hammer and Anvil looked at each other with a curious expression, wondering where she was actually taking them, until the filly called out. She was hurrying to another door on the far side of the cellar, waving at them to follow her. They quickly headed towards the exit, just as they heard the griffons inside the home, with sounds of broken glass and furniture upstairs. They climbed up out of the cellar and pushed a third doorway upward, and once it opened, they were surprised to see that they were out in a narrow back alley.
“I can’t believe we were able to pull that off,” Anvil said as he closed the door behind them.
“We’re not out of the woods yet. We still got to get out of here,” Hammer replied as he readied himself. The filly looked up at him and she held onto his hoof, her body shaking once more.
“We’ve got to hurry. Who knows what will happen,” Anvil said, hugging the alleyway wall just in case a griffon intruded. Hammer looked at his surroundings, looking for any possible way out of their predicament. His search was answered when he spotted a cover in the middle of the street. It would be an easy escape for them. He prefered that instead of playing cat and mouse through each of the homes.
“There, the sewer. That’s our way out,” Hammer said, pointing a hoof forward, and Anvil nodded in approval.
“Right. Let's get going before they find us,” Anvil concluded, moving closer to the edge of the alleyway, with Hammer following close behind and the filly in tow, both ready to run. As they moved, Hammer looked back and noticed the kitchen window of the filly’s home and saw the griffons continuing to search the place. He ducked his head low, just before the griffons spotted them. Anvil and Hammer looked at each other and nodded. Once they made the break for it, the griffons would certainly hear them so they had to be quick. Hammer slowly counted, his mind focused on the hole. His heart beat faster, his blood surging with energy. At three they ran straight out of the alleway, only for the unexpected to happen.
Two griffons in light armor, which Hammer identified as scouts, ran straight towards them. The two groups collided and hit the ground in a pile of limbs and feathers. Hammer opened his eyes, and he saw one of the griffons he ran into was screeching out in fright; he didn’t expect to see him. The filly, seeing the griffons in front of her, also screamed.
“Anvil! Get to the sewer!” Hammer yelled as he punched the griffon, stunning him. He quickly untangled himself, while Anvil grabbed the filly and went towards the grate. As he whirled around to meet his foe, the second griffon unsheathed a short sword. The griffon swung hard, nearly clipping him as Hammer parried with his spear. He thrusted and jabbed his spear wildly, trying to keep the griffon off-balanced. The two dueled for a few moments until he heard Anvil scream from behind.
“Hammer! The cover’s open! Hurry!” Hammer heard him say as the griffon thrusted with his sword. He parried the blade at his side, and Hammer whipped the back end of his spear, smacking hard against the griffon’s head. The griffon was sent back peddling against some empty crates and crashed hard, leaving him in a tangled mess. Hammer turned around, bolting for the cover as Anvil carried the filly down into the sewer. He only made it two steps when a loud explosion came from the filly’s home.
He stopped in his tracks as he saw a heavily silver-armored griffon crash through the building like it was nothing. It was the same griffon that he saw in the kitchen, and he knew that the other two were right behind him. Time seemed to slow as the griffon landed on the ground, its claws skidding deep into the dirt. Parts of the foundation fell around them as the griffon unfurled its wings and gave out an ear-shattering screech. Hammer’s eyes widened from surprise to horror as the griffon opened its maw and began to charge.
“Run, Hammer! Run!” Anvil called out to him, snapping him out of his stupor. Whirling around, he bolted for the sewer line, dropping his spear in the process. He didn’t care for it, he only cared for escaping, pounding his hooves into the ground to get ahead of the rampaging griffon. He could feel it behind him, he could hear it approaching fast. It was almost upon him. He slid on the ground and went into the hole while Anvil held the grate up. Hammer shut the cover within inches of the griffon snatching him. The griffon slammed hard against the grate as Hammer fell down, nearly landing on top of Anvil. The fall knocked all of the wind out his body, and he groaned slightly from the pain. When he went for breath, a bad smell exude around him, and he immediately placed a hoof over his nose.
“Ah, the sewer, now that is just dandy,” Anvil said as he too covered his nose with a hoof, trying to block the noxious smells. Hammer looked back up the ladder, and he could see the shadows of the griffons just above them, moving the cover, speaking quickly to one another.
“We’ve got to go, now!” Hammer said, and he scooped up the filly in his hoofs, ignoring the pain from his earlier fall. She squeaked slightly as she was placed onto his back. They began running down into the sewer, a ledge providing the pathway. They ran for a few minutes until the ledge was no longer available, then they trudged through sewage. The smells around him were rancid, much worse than he expected. As they treked through the muck and grime; the water stuck to their hooves, and Hammer felt he had to exert himself just to get out. Next to him, Anvil gagged, his eyes tearing as the foul smell permeated around them. Despite the hindrances, they pressed on, hoping to stay far enough away before the griffons caught them.
“Were losing light down here fast,” Anvil said as they continued down the route in front of them, the only light source were from the storm drains above their heads. As they pressed on they could hear the griffons enter, their claws scraping the ground and their shrill shrieks filling the air, yet they were still far enough away. He hoped that they would get lost in the sewers; there were several tunnels they passed that might buy them time, however, the further they went in the more sealed passages they found. There was no way to avoid them without getting into a fight and Hammer knew it was only a matter of time before they were caught.
After running for several minutes the two turned a corner, finally stepping onto a new pathway, moved out of the water. They walked a little further before they stopped behind a large pipe, where water continued to drip down. The two panted as they rested themselves. The filly held close to Hammer, her body shaking slightly from all of the excitement and danger. On instinct he pulled her into him, which seemed to help calm her down.
“Well this day’s gone swell.” Anvil breathed out a deep sigh. “I don’t think we can’t get out of this one.”
Hammer knew what he meant. They didn’t hear the griffons, but it was only a matter of time before they found them. He looked down at the filly and saw the she was looking back. Her violet eyes were very beautiful, and he seemed mesmerized by them. He could see so much innocence, so much hope, so much life.
“A family,” he finally said. His companion turned to him with a confused expression.
“Huh?”
“A family. A family is what I want. I wanted to say that earlier. This filly, she’s so innocent, so filled with life. It makes me think of what joys a family can bring. Raising children, having a loving wife, watching them grow to become better and to carry on in life after I’m gone. That’s what I see the most when I look at her. I don’t know why, but she makes me feel so strongly for one. Families are needed, even through the most difficult times,” he stated as he stared at the filly before her, nuzzling her as she returned it in kind. Anvil took notice of this and a small smile spread upon his face.
“So I guess I can let the captain know that you have a crush on her,” he said, instantly causing Hammer to blush.
“I don’t have a crush on Captain Silverwing,” he flusteredly responded. His friend's smile rose a little higher.
“Please, Hammer, we both know that you’ve liked her since boot camp. I think you can hit her off better than me.” Both of them chuckled at this but soon remained silent, the only sounds were their breathing and the now distant noise of the griffons. Taking a collected breath, he sighed deeply as he turned to his companion.
“Anvil. We won’t be able to shake them forever. We got to face them head on,” Hammer explained, his mood turning serious.
“You're nuts, you know that, right?” Anvil said in a panicked breath, seeing the suggestion outrageous. “Against their armor? You know my spear would break on contact,”
“We’re out of time Anvil. We can do this as long as we concentrate on their weaker points. Neck and wings. Remember.” Anvil pondered over this for a moment before finally giving in, almost laughing about it.
“Right. Text book stuff. How very original. If we die because of this, I’m going to haunt you.” The two shared a laugh as they readied themselves for the incoming griffons.
Hammer and Anvil readied themselves behind the corners of the drainage pipe and behind some trash. Hammer had the filly behind him, while Anvil took the other side. She was shaking, speaking low in her language but he couldn’t understand. He knew the griffons were coming, and all he could do was wait. He could hear their claws splashing through the sewage and their wings flapping in the distance.
They were closing in on them.
“Here, you’ll need this more than me,” Anvil said as he tossed his spear to his friend. Hammer grabbed it with ease, but not before looking at his friend in confusion. Anvil only returned a smile as he held a large pile of sewage in both of his hoofs. Hammer nodded and he leaned near the water, his hoof grabbing a large pile of muck from within. They waited a few more moments longer; the griffons were closing the distance and they could hear voices.
“It stinks down here. We should give up this chase, we should be returning to Colonel Sharp Beak and General-” a young voice spoke before another voice cut him off.
“I don’t care what that weak general says, young blood. We just struck a blow against the royal guard, and we are going to be having our victory sung in the halls of our forefathers.”
Hammer listened intently, wondering what the griffons had done, but the more he listened the more he wanted to rush in and kill them, but he had to hold out, just a bit more.
“You're wrong, sir. Our victory cost us nearly half of our forces. All we got out of it was a single prisoner.”
“A minor setback. It was convenience that the prisoner was a lieutenant. They’ll have no command for a short while, giving us time to recover and strike at them once more. Now keep your tongue behind your beak or I’ll rip it out of you!” the older griffon spoke, and the two could hear the voice raised among the youth.
“Thousands of us died defending this city and you call it convenience!?” The youth exploded, their voices getting ever nearer. “Ever since the Diamond Dogs left our sides the Equestrian forces continued to push on our positions. Since their arrival in Prance we’ve been losing battles wherever we turn! You and that colonel have lost your mind! This war is already lost!”
The voices were just around the corner. Hammer took a deep breath in and slowly breathed out.
“Frère,” the filly said, her body shaking.
Hammer turned to her and spoke softly to ease her fears. “It’s okay. I promise I’ll protect you.” He turned to hear the officer lash out against his subordinate and readied for the fight ahead. His only thought was protecting the filly.
“Silence! The Gryphon empire will never lose! The ponies have not won! They will never-” The five griffons quickly turned the corner and ran straight into them.
The moment the griffons appeared they released their trap, throwing their filth projectiles at them. Their bile hit their mark, and the griffons squawked and scrambled, running into each other. Hammer and Anvil cried out and charged them, Hammer raising his spear and thrusting straight at the open neck of the griffon. The tip connected and the spear went clean through the open gap of the armored griffon. The griffon fell back within seconds, Hammer following with him. After landing on top of the dead body, he scrambled to his hooves. Quickly turning his head, he saw Anvil handling the second plated griffon and the other scout, while the officer with the sword cleared the bile from his eyes. He rushed forward, leaving his spear in the dead corpse and dashed toward the sword wielder. He was blindsided as the second scout hit his side, and the two tumbled to the ground hard. Hammer rolled and kicked the attacker off. He turned to face him head on. The griffon launched from his position, claws at the ready. It struck his side, sending small gashes against Hammer’s armor. He backed up as the griffon continued a flurry of attacks. He dodged and weaved after each blow, and the griffon was not letting up. He saw an opportunity when the griffon landed in the water. He took the chance and rammed his hoof onto the griffon’s leg. Bone cracked from his blow as the griffon’s leg collided with the ledge. The griffon fell to the floor screaming, his head hitting the curb. Leaving nothing to chance, Hammer lifted his hoof and brought it down upon the griffon’s head, bone snapping as it hit the corner stone, leaving the griffon scout dead.
Hammer turned to face the next foe when he saw a body thrown next to him, and he immediately discovered it was the second griffon scout. He turned to see that Anvil was now dodging the halberd the armored-plated griffon wielded. Hammer whirled his head to see if the filly was okay and saw that she was hugging the wall, her hooves over head as she cried out. He turned to Anvil and saw the officer behind his companion, ready to strike. Hammer didn’t give him that chance as he rushed and tackled the officer to the ground, both of them splashing into the sewage water. As Hammer grappled with the griffon he now had a better understanding of him and how much he began to despise him.
You blatantly send you kin to die?! Hammer’s thoughts raged as he as he forced the officer down.
You force them to commit these heinous acts!? he recalled the words the officer spoken of.
You send your own brethren to die so that you can selfishly win?! his thoughts screamed out, as he forced his hoofs on the griffon’s neck. To think that their leaders were this desperate to send their soldiers off to die. He had nothing but pure abhorrence, no, complete odium to his actions. He forced the griffon’s head into the water. The griffon coughed and gagged sewage as he tried to gasp for air, but Hammer wouldn’t let him. He punched him in the head when he got the chance, forcing the griffon down, pushing his hoofs on its neck to cut his air supply. Hammer wanted to ensure the griffon would choke, to drown in his delusions of grandeur, but he didn’t get the chance as the griffon kicked up with its legs, sending Hammer to the wall nearby. His body went into the second griffon scout, and the two collapsed into a heap. He clutched his stomach from the impact, almost throwing up, yet he quickly scrambled back up despite the injuries.
The officer in the water struggled to breath and was coughing up sewage, while Anvil was still wrestling the halberd away from the second armored griffon. The griffon clawed at Anvil’s head with a powerful uppercut, and he was sent flying, but not before yanking the halberd away. Hammer rushed forward once more, crying out as he did, crashing his weight into the armored griffon. The griffon slightly budged from the impact and screeched at his new opponent. The armored griffon sent a clawed fist into his side, while Hammer sent a flurry of blows with his front hoofs. The two exchanged punches for a few seconds before the griffon let out a shrilled cry, and sent its beak down towards his neck.
Hammer screamed out in agony as the griffon’s beak plunged deep into his left shoulder, biting straight down into his skin and bone. Hammer punched directly into the side of his face but the griffon didn’t budge and bit further into his shoulder. He desperately punched again and again at the griffon’s head, hoping he would let go but the more he struggled the more the griffon persisted.
Feeling that he was going to lose his shoulder, he lunged his own head into the griffon’s exposed neck and bit down hard. The griffon released its death grip and cried out, raising its head and allowing Hammer to let go, spitting out feathers as he did. The griffon lunged again to bite his neck once more, however, Hammer quickly countered with an headbutt to his face, breaking the beak. The griffon screamed in agony as Hammer continue to throw more punches at it. Another cry came from his side, and he saw Anvil rushing forward with the halberd in hoof. The blade’s tip ran straight through, and the three crashed into the wall nearby, sending the spear further in, penetrating its armor. The griffon squawked again before its head slumped down to the side.The two looked at each other, both breathing heavily from the scuffle, and both were smiling at their victory.
“Frère!” the filly shouted, and both Hammer and Anvil turned to see a terrifying sight. The Griffon officer was holding the filly in its claw and holding his sword towards her neck.
“Let her go, you bastard!” Hammer screamed as he tried to move forward, but the griffon placed the blade next to the filly’s neck, stopping him. The griffon officer smiled and a deep chuckle came from him.
“Oh, such compassion. You care for this filly as if it were your own. It’s so touching,” the griffon laughed as he placed the blade closer to her neck. Hammer and Anvil froze as the blade’s edge touched the filly's neck.They could see the tears coming down her face.
“The Gryphon Empire will rise again. Mark my words for even if we fall this day, we will take every innocent with us. As we suffer, they will suffer. For every death of our own, each of them will pay it in blood, just like those bodies of villagers above us.”
Hammer noticed the blade’s hilt was near the filly. She was looking at it with great intent.
“Now, witness me, as I take this life you swore to protect. Watch as this pathetic filly’s life is taken from…. Aargh!” he screamed. Hammer and Anvil saw the filly bite down onto the griffon's claw, her head dangerously closer to the blade's edge. The griffon forced his hand back away, and he turned the filly to stare at her.
“You filthy peasant, you’ll pay for your arrogance-” he didn’t get to finish as the filly raised her head back and smacked down against his head, the tip of her horn puncturing his right eye. He howled in pain as he threw her against the pipe. Hammer and Anvil watched helplessly as she hit the stone pipe with a loud smack, and she fell to the ground hard.
“Die you mongrels!” the officer screamed and swung his sword wildly, while clutching his eye with his other claw.
Hammer and Anvil took no chance, and the two rushed the griffon raising their hoofs in the process, aiming for his head. The two hit his head with such force that he was sent crashing into the wall. The officer slumped to the ground and was silent.
“No, no, no!” Hammer said, almost yelling as he scrambled to the filly’s side. The fight was won but at a cost. He held the filly up with his hooves, holding her to see if she was okay. He saw a small cut over her head, most likely from where she smacked her head. Anvil moved opposite of him, clutching the side where the griffon clawed him. Hammer placed a hoof on the filly’s head, feeling for any signs that the filly was alive.
Please, please goddess. Don’t take her away. Hammer thought as he held the filly close, hoping she was alright.
A soft breath escaped her, and he looked upon her once again. She cracked open an eye and was breathing softly. She looked up at him, her eyes hopeful.
“Frère,” she said weakly as she tried to nuzzle into him. He held her close as she rested her head on his chest, slowly breathing. Hammer looked to his companion and the two were relieved that she was okay.
The moment was short lived. A shadow loomed over the two of them.
The two immediately turned to stare in horror as the second griffon scout lifted a halberd high in the air. They were both on the ground and both wounded; they didn’t have the strength to continue to fight and were at the mercy of the griffon. The griffon was ready to strike, ready to take them on.
But why didn’t he move in for the kill?
They could see his eyes staring down at the filly in Hammer’s arms, her body slowly breathing in and out as she rested. The griffon’s arms shook and an uneasy look spread upon his face. The griffon stepped back, dropping the halberd in the process. The filly awoke to the sudden noise, and her eyes looked up at the griffon that stood before them. The griffon took another step back, lifting his claws and inspecting them. Hammer noticed that they were shaking tremendously, and he breathed unsteadily. He stared at them for a time, his eyes never wavering as he contemplated for what seemed like ages. The griffon’s eyes drifted to the young filly cradled in his hooves. Claws still shaking, the griffon spoke with a calm voice.
“Never forget your duty,” the griffon said, and Hammer recognized the voice belonging to the young griffon. As soon as he said those words the griffon turned in the opposite direction and left them where they were, leaving them in a confounded state. They looked at each other and released out a held breath, both almost laughing.They remained like that for a few minutes, resting themselves up, until Anvil broke the silence.
“I can’t believe that just happened,” he said, his body shaking.
“ I know. We’re very lucky,” Hammer said. “How’re you doing? You good?”
“Got a scratch on my face. I don’t think it's life-threatening. How does it look?” Anvil asked as Hammer inspected the wound. Hammer chuckled slightly as he looked at his partner, seeing only two small cuts just underneath his left eye.
“You still got your looks. Maybe you can get a mare now with that,” Hammer stated and Anvil laughed heartily in response. Hammer looked back down again, smiling at the filly once more.
“You did good, little one. You did good.” She smiled weakly at him and wrapped her hooves around his neck. He hugged her back in response and nuzzled her head with his own.
“Hey. That featherhead still breathing. What should we do?” Anvil said as he pointed at the unconscious officer.
“Tie up and take him with us. If the uniform distinguishes his rank then he might have some info we can use,” Hammer said as he picked up the filly and allowed her to rest on his back. He could hear Anvil grumble slightly as he went to the griffon’s side and began tying the officer’s own belt around his claws. Once finished he lifted the officer onto his back.
“That’s just great. You get the light load, and I get the heavy load.” Anvil chuckled as he moved to Hammer’s side. “I guess it’s just one of those days.” The two companions continued their way down the sewage system. They didn’t have to go far as they soon spotted a sewer hole leading to the surface. Light shined directly down on them as they looked up at the open skies. Hammer looked at the filly behind him, and gave a small smile.
“Hold on tight,” he said, beginning his ascent up the ladder. The little filly held his neck as he climbed up, her arms wrapped tightly. He winced slightly at this, she holding onto his wounded shoulder, but he was able to manage it. He soon reached the top and began pushing on the cover. With a few good pushes he was able to lift the cover off and get himself out, only to meet spears pointing at him.
“Hey, stop, he’s one of ours!” a voice broke out, and Hammer could see more than two dozen royal guards surrounding him. The soldiers up front lowered their weapons as a pegasus in silver armor approached him and Anvil, who was dragging the unconscious griffon out of the sewer. As soon as the pegasus was close Hammer could already tell who it was and a blush was on his face as a result. It was their captain, Silverwing.
“I see that you are late. Corporal Hammer and Anvil. You were suppose to get back an hour ago. Care to explain yourselves, your wounds, and that griffon behind you?” she spoke with a commanding tone but was also a calm and collected.
“Well captain, we were going to head back to camp,” Anvil started but Hammer waved a hoof at him and gave a small smile.
“We just got a little...sidetracked.” He looked down at the filly, who was hiding behind his leg. Silverwing saw this and gave a small smile of her own to the filly.
“I see,” she said as she lowered herself to the filly’s level. The next thing she did surprised both of them.
“Veux-tu voir ton père?” the captain said, speaking in near-perfect Prench. The little filly’s eyes widened to this and a smile was present upon her face.
“Oh oui oui,” she said through tears as Silverwing parted, revealing a white stallion with a violet mane behind her. The stallion's eyes were filled with tears as he saw the filly before him.
“Fleur, tu es vivante!” he said as he ran over to her.
“Papa!” the filly cried as she ran from Hammer’s side and held her father in her arms. The two embraced each other and cried into each other's arms. Hammer and Anvil could only watch at the sight. A father and daughter, the two reunited almost brought a tear to his eye.
“C’mon you two,” Silverwing said as she beckoned them to follow. “ Let’s get an apothecary to see to your wounds. Also good job in capturing our feathered friend here. I’ll make sure when he wakes up he will give his unconditional surrender.”
****
It has been nearly an hour since they had arrived back at camp, and it was nearing sundown. The two had their wounds treated, and were already stocked and ready to go on their next mission. Apparently a lot of things happened since they have been gone.
The Royal Guard and Prench forces had cleared out the city, but not before getting raided by the griffons. The enemy tried in a last ditch attempt to break their lines but to no avail. The griffons did, however, seize their commanding officer, Quicksilver, and he was whisked away by the retreating griffons.
The griffon they had captured, who had fled the battle with his troops, was also the right claw of the enemy leader, Colonel Sharp Beak. The colonel had also orchestrated the attack to begin with, and the one in charge of the defense of Prancy. The captured griffon was easily persuaded by Silverwings ‘kind’ words, and he humbly gave them information as to where his colonel and his kin were heading.
To top it off the filly they saved was the daughter of the mayor of Prancy. The mayor and several of his militia had been searching many days for her, but the further they pushed into the city the more griffons they encountered. Despite the chaos and the fighting in the streets, they could not find any trace of her. The mayor had almost lost hope, but had taken a risk accompanying Silverwing and her guard in locating his daughter. It was only pure luck that both Hammer and Anvil found her when they did, because it was the last search they would do before the Equestrian army would sweep through the city and push the remaining griffons out.
Indeed, today was a good day.
Hammer and Anvil soon readied themselves and met their captain near the edge of camp, where she was surrounded by a dozen of her guards. She smiled at them as they approached.
“Corporal Hammer, Corporal Anvil. You two will be assigned to me from this point forward. Were going to retrieve Lieutenant Quicksilver back before the enemy takes him away. Understood?”
“Yes captain,” they both said in stout reply. She nodded and soon began addressing the rest of the squad. As she did this the mayor approached them with his reunited daughter at his side, where she was now wearing a small bandage over her her head. Behind them were multiple citizens from the town and its militia.
“I’d like to thank you for saving my daughter. I would have fallen in despair if she was lost to me. You have brought her out of the pit of darkness, and you have nothing less then my deepest thanks,” he said to them, bowing his head low to his daughter’s saviors.
“We were just doing our job, sir,” Anvil said, but stopped short when the mayor hugged him and kissed his cheeks, which made him blush and caused the ponies around him to laugh. As this happened, Hammer leaned down to see the little filly before him, patting her head with his hoof.
“You take care now, alright?” Hammer said as the filly giggled in response. She hugged around his neck and he nuzzled her in response. Anvil, after finally prying the thankful mayor off of him, and Hammer soon departed, following their captain as she led the squad out of the town. As they left the citizens behind, Anvil nudged into Hammer.
“Thanks for following that filly,” Anvil said.
“For what for? I just wanted to see her safe.”
“That’s just it, Hammer. If we weren’t around then she would’ve been hurt. Since we followed her we wouldn't have had this crazy adventure. So I’ll say it again, Hammer, thank you, for leading me astray when I was to blind to see it,” Anvil said with a smile as Hammer gave his friend a pat on the shoulder.
“That’s what friends are for,” he replied, and the two shared a warm chuckle between them. Soon they heard the young filly raise her voice.
“Frère. Frère...frère.” Hammer and Anvil turned and saw her waving a hoof at them, possibly waving them goodbye.
“Captain, what is that word she keeps calling us?” Hammer asked as he looked at Silverwing for an answer. She chuckled slightly at this.
“It’s a word that you two share more in common then you realize,” she said with a wide smile, which made him perplexed by her answer.
“And what word is that?” Anvil asked. Silverwing looked at them both and turned around, continuing on her path out of town.
“Frère. It means ‘brother’,” she simply replied, and left the two stunned in their tracks. They looked at each other and both had wide grins on their faces. They turned back to the filly and waved at her, giving off warm smiles. Her smile widened and they watched as her father wrapped a hoof tightly around her. The two soon departed, leaving a reunited family behind them. It was their duty to protect and to defend, placing others’ lives above their own.
Both Hammer and Anvil realized this, that was why they were here, and that was truly worth fighting for.
As the two continued to follow Captain Silverwing, they passed a couple of lilies on the ground. The two flowers were still in bloom, standing tall above the grass around them. Between the two flowers, another tiny lily was present. The lily slowly opened its petals to the sun, and the three lilies basked in the last light of the sun’s rays.
Author's Note
And so ends their tale. Anvil wants to become a writer, Hammer wishes for a family, and the little filly returns to her family. The war draws to a close and peace will return to the land.
Or does it?
