The Battle of Saddle Lake

The Equestrian army assembled the majority of their troops to face the Chaos Army. They had received reports from the previous days that the Chaos Army and a small company of Equestrian rebels had invaded the country and were marching towards Canterlot. Leading the Equestrian army were the Mark Crusaders with Prince Armor at the front. Behind them was the Royal Division led by King Heart who was on his golden plated horse. Behind his column were a company of mages that were recommended by Queen Celestia and Princess Twilight, as they were told that they were the best mages in the entire kingdom. The rest of the army consisted of regular troops led by General Hurricane.

The army passed through the royal highway leading to the Capital. They took a side road that they believe the enemy would be marching on, as it offers fewer barriers of conquest for them. The area around the the path were mainly small villages and wheat fields that farmers were trying to tend to. The soldiers marched, watching the farmers as they were trying to find the reason for why they were being sent to war.

"It's a beautiful country isn't it your highness," said Captain Bloom.

Prince Armor looked at the direction of where the captain was facing. He was a daisy field with small trees on it as the wind blows through them, "Yes it is."

Captain Bloomed smiled, "How many years have we fought together again?"

Prince Armor laughed as he tries to recollect the years he had led the company, "I don't know. It's been a while."

The two men look to their right. Sir Seed, a young veteran crusader had a wheat stick in his mouth. He felt the sensation of the men looking at him, and looked back.

"What?" said Sir Seed.

"How many years since the prince took over the company?" Captain Bloom asked.

"Well," Sir Seed tried to answer. "I was in the company five years ago. Transferred from the infantry. You were a captain two years in and I think the prince if I remember correctly was a squire. We called him 'Lieutenant' because he pulled rank on many noble veterans. But we quickly gained his trust and he became company commander in no time. The youngest to if I remember."

Two cavalry riders came from the back. They rode to the front of the formation, arguing on who bested who when racing towards the front. Their horses were at the lead, and they were arguing in front of the prince.

"What does a infantry company commander know about riding?" Sir Blueblood asked.

"Noble infantry officers require horses to lead their men," Sir Pansy answered.

Captain Bloom threw a piece of pebble at each of them to attract their attention. The two young knights looked back at the three crusaders laughing at them.

"Crusaders prefer their infantry officers to march with the troops. Not because of morale, but because they fear their commander would die from stupidity," said Captain Bloom looking at Sir Pansy. He turned his looks at Sir Blueblood, "The same goes for cavalry commanders who are reckless in riding into battle."

"Give the two some slack captain," the prince advised. "This is about to be their first battle."

"We've fought before," Sir Blueblood added.

Sir Seed called out Sir Blueblood, "Boy, may I remind you that skirmishes are nothing. Try a battle with tens of thousands of soldiers clashing against each other. That'll give you the time of your life."

Sir Pansy drank from his wine bag. He offered it to the prince, "Sir Seed. Rebels and bandits are not easy men to fight. May I also remind you that you are only four years older than Sir Blueblood."

Prince Armor smirked as he finished drinking, "The both of you have to realize, that I'm about the same age as you and I've already been sent on many expeditions."

"It's not our fault that King Heart doesn't want everyday Equestrian nobles to dedicate their life to the Mark Crusaders," Sir Pansy added.

Approaching from the rear was Captain Platinum. He road in front of the column with the rear of his horse facing the open road.

"General Hurricane wants the both of you back at your post," the captain delivered.

"The captain of the guard has no sense of fun," said Sir Blueblood. "Oh well, I've had my share," he looks at Sir Pansy. "I'll race you back."

The two knights immediately rode back to their positions. The crusaders at the front of the formation were laughing at the rivalry of the two knights. Captain Platinum looked at the prince and nodded to signal his leave. He slowly rode back to his king.

The army was approaching a steppe slope along the hill. Their view was blocked by the large grassy hill. From the top of the hill, forward scouts of the army began galloping down the hill. They stopped in front of Prince Armor.

"What's the matter?" Prince Armor asked.

"Your highness," said the scout. "We have spotted a column of a thousand chaos soldiers marching towards the farm fields."

"How far?" Prince Armor asked.

"Less than two miles your highness," the scout answered.

Prince Armor looked at Captain Bloom. He nodded to his head to command the captain to march the crusaders to the top of the hill. Captain Bloom turned his horse around and gave orders for the crusaders to ride hastily to the top of the hill. The prince rode to the middle of the column to see to his father. The guards around his father have been alerted immediately by the commotion at the front and formed a square formation to guard the king.

"A forward chaos company is at the other side of the hill!" Prince Armor reported to the king.

King Heart looked at Lord Clover. Through his eyes, the strategist read the thoughts of the king. Captain Platinum saw the interaction of the two nobles and ordered a small squadron of his mounted knights to accompany the prince into battle.

"I'll have my company support the crusaders," said Lord Clover. "Your highness, please do not leave the presence of your royal escorts."

"Then they must catch up," Prince Armor replied. He immediately left his fathers presence and rode for the hill. His royal escorts followed him, then by Lord Clover's company after they had assembled their selves and their equipment.

The entire column halted. The Royal Division went to the sides of the road and the guards built a defensive perimeter around the king. The mages were within the formation to guard the king. General Hurricane had his reserves form a line on their flanks and the rest of the army to march to the other side of the hill.

The Mark Crusaders arrived on top of the hill. They formed a line and awaited for their commander. Prince Armor came to the front of the formation with the royal guards. The guards quickly formed a wedge formation with Prince Armor at the front. Captain Bloom rode to the prince.

"Me and the cavalry will be right behind you your highness. The infantry will follow as support and the archers will stay as high as they can on the hill to provide support as you advance," said Captain Bloom.

Prince Armor wore his helmet, and unsheathed his sword. "We will be within range of our archers. Have them behind the infantry as reserves."

"Yes your highness," said Captain Bloom, returning to his post.

The field was grassy with wheat stems around the road. The enemy saw the Equestrians on top of the hill and immediately went to formation. Prince Armor brought down his visor and pointed his sword towards the enemy, then slowly rode downhill with his men. They were at a steady pace, then picked it up once they were down the hill. The enemy cavalry noticed the speed of the Equestrian charge and decided to counterattack with a lose formation to make time for their army to create a defensive square formation to repel the cavalry charge.

Prince Armor saw the counterattack and picked up the pace. The Equestrian cavalry was so fast that by the time they met the enemy cavalry, they rammed through them as if they were a piece of flower in the middle of a storm. The chaos infantry were to slow to form their squares and were immediately trampled by the cavalry. The cavalry rode through the formation, hacking through the thin wall of spears that were supposed to stop them.

Lord Clover arrived on top of the hill and saw the carnage of the battle. There was a small pile of bodies in the grassy field. Most of them were chaos cavalry men who stood no chance against the might of the Equestrian cavalry. The crusader infantry were marching steadily across the field and were picking off the remnants of the chaos cavalry. At the rear of the chaos formation, Lord Clover noticed a small infantry company and riders that were attempting to flank the crusaders. He ordered his cavalry and a squadron of infantry to counterattack the enemy maneuver.

In the middle of the battle, the royal guards created a perimeter around the prince, fearing that his recklessness to lead the charge would result in his death. Meanwhile, their flanks were about to be attacked, but Lord Clover's cavalry met the flankers and attacked them. As soon as the Equestrians received infantry support, the chaos army began to fled. They ran as a rabble of fearing peasants in the eyes of the crusaders.

"Do we follow them your highness?" said Captain Bloom, breathing heavily.

"No," Prince Armor answered. "Let them know that we're here."

As soon as the enemy fled to the point of no threat to the others. The king went to observe the battlefield. He slowly galloped through the fields with the Royal Division. On one side of the road was a field hospital to tend the wounds of the wounded. On the other side were two dozen prisoners that were caught in the retreat, being guarded by the crusaders. The king dismounted from his horse and approached his son who had his back turned, watching the prisoners. Captain Bloom and Lord Clover saw the king and faced him. Prince Armor turned his back to meet his father.

"Report," said King Heart.

"There were about a thousand soldiers. They were a forward army that was supposed to secure the hill as a lookout post. We suffered about a hundred casualties against half of their casualties. We also captured a dozen prisoners," Prince Armor reported.

King Heart looked past beyond the shoulders of Prince Armor. The prisoners were sitting on the ground and looking down from their captors. They were mostly young men who seemed to be conscripted into the army. Their armors were bloody from the blood of their comrades and their faces were dirty from being dragged against the ground.

"Hand them over to me. I'll have my archers execute them for target practice," said King Heart.

"Yes your majesty," Prince Armor replied.

The king returned to his horse and rode for the rear of the column. Members of his royal guard began to take the prisoners and forced them to march to the rear.

"He hasn't been the same since then," said Captain Bloom.

"No," Prince Armor added. "He hasn't."