The military detachment came to our village just after open conflict was declared against the Changeling state, the Royal Guard who hadn't seen any actual combat against another uniformed force in centuries were poorly equipped and trained for such an affair, they also lacked the ponypower. The order which had come from Canterlot, entitled Emergency War Directive No. 17 called for every single settlement within Equestrias borders that had a population of at least 100 must provide a 30% levy within a week, I watched as the officer passed this directive to what would be considered the leader of our small, cold mountainside home; Daybreak Gorse.
The group of 5 ponies clad in the usual royal guard attire then quickly left after handing the paperwork to Daybreak, the faint sound of chattering teeth could be heard over the never ending gusts of wind as they walked past where i was standing, blissfully unaware to the horrors that damned piece of paper would unleash upon me. Daybreak after reading over the directive quickly could be seen rushing back inside the run down old building that was the village hall, the cold having evidently gotten to her somewhat.
Looking down to the filly that was snuggled into my side in a vein attempt to escape from the cold i whispered "You alright Snowberry?"
A small voice replied with a "am cold, please Boreal can we go home now?"
My eyes settled on the megre pile of wood that we had scrounged together might be enough for a few days at least however going out tomorrow would be needed to get enough to last out the week, "I suppose.... we'll have to go out tomorrow though and Father wont be happy."
We were already by the village anyhow, having gone in a large several furlong long circle from our house, i started toward our home prompting Snowberry to follow along lest she get left behind. Opening the door the warmth was like heaven after several hours in sub zero temperatures, i decided to keep the heavy coat on my shoulders for a little while to try and warm up faster while placing the logs into the rack by our open fire when i heard somepony descending the stairs, turning to look i saw Father and the thought instantly filled my head of what would he say about the somewhat pathetic offering of firewood as he came down the last step, then starting walking towards me.
"Is that it?, after you going out for three bloody hours and that's all you bring home?"
The coldness in his voice could've made a block of ice out of the raging fire, Father never liked to be let down. "I.. me and Snowie couldn't find any more father i... i was cut short by a hoof flying towards my face, causing the logs i had currently been holding to drop upon the impact.
"YOU'RE JUST LIKE YOUR FUCKING WHORE OF A MOTHER AREN'T YOU BOREAL? YOU EVEN HAVE HER BLAND APPEARANCE" Father roared at me as tears started forming in my eyes, from my cheek feeling like it was on fire.
Ple... Father i'm sorry i didn't me... I was cut off again by him yelling in my face.
"SHUT. UP., I'm bloody tired of you together with your attitude, never ever stop making excuses do you?" I caught a whiff of Alcohol on his breath, an all too common occurrence as of late.
"I'm sorry.... please father i tried i'll go out tomorrow i..." Tears were trickling down my cheeks by this point, this happened nearly every day he'd find something wrong then as he so eloquently put it 'teach you a lesson'.
"Get out of my sight if you know whats good for you Boreal.." I quickly got up and started galloping toward the stairway as Father roared "UNLESS YOU WANT A BROKEN JAW".
Reaching the door to my room i opened it quietly, closing it gently behind me. Going over to the old mirror that used to be mothers and looking at myself i couldn't disagree with father that i looked bland with a very light, almost white grey coat and washed out pastel green mane... the only redeeming quality i had was a pair of golden eyes which looked back at me from the mirror, my coat was that of my mothers and my eyes came from her father the green came from the father yet he always loved to call me a carbon copy of my mother, i still vaguely remembered her from when i was small.... Snowie was merely a foal in a cot when father.... tears started rolling down my cheek again as the memory of fathers darkest deed invaded my mind, her screams as he took the heavy poker by the fire and brought it down on..... i couldn't bare thinking about it.
Stepping away from the mirror i hung my coat up trying to choke back the tears while flopping down into the hard bed that was my own, Father was a cruel stallion and two faced when out in public everypony knew him as a friendly joker who enjoyed going down to the pub for a pint, unfortunately for her they never saw what happened after he downed several pints of cheap lager. She slowly dazed off to sleep as the winds howling served as a lullaby for her weary brain.
The Next Day
I awoke half freezing to death, while the snowfall and wind had stopped it hadn't gotten any warmer, with the ground floor fire heating the entire house having gone out and me forgetting to pull the duvet over myself, i rolled out of bed making a crash which if father was home I'd be beaten for but alas he'd gone to work at 5 o'clock as always for a day underground in the mine, if only he'd get stuck there.
After cleaning myself up and making sure Snowberry was alright in her room i went down to have breakfast, which was as usual a bowl of bland oats, taking a glance at the clock it read 6:43am, Celestia's sun hadn't even graced the mountainside yet when a knock came on the door, i got up to hurry over to the rotten old slab of wood and opened it to greeted by the kind old face of Daybreak Gorse.
"Hello Dear" she said with the kind tone of voice she always spoke with "The nobles in canterlot are calling for conscripts, if my paperwork is correct there are 3 ponies living here yes?" I merely responded with a knod "How many are of age?"
"Two, myself and my father" I responded while my mind was suddenly racing with slight worry, i'd read fathers paper that war had broken out but... conscription? that was simply unheard of.
"That means one of you has to go off to..." Daybreak paused for a second "The local Royal Guard reserve down in Fetlockhill, i assume it'll be your.... father going?"
The gears of my brain turned, this could be a chance to get out from under him, either or father was too much of a coward to go off to any type of possible war. I had little doubt he wouldn't try and force me to go in his place. "I.... no i'll be going" i replied slowly
Daybreak looked at me quizzically for a few seconds before shrugging and saying "Very well, the Royal Guardspony who came said he'd come to collect the first batch of troops today at noon, make sure to back a bag of essentials." Giving a slight nod she continued onto the next house to repeat the same lines.
I closed the door in her absence to finish my breakfast, and while i thought of it write a letter for father telling him where i'd gone.
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Squeezing the last bag of oats into my old worn out pair of saddle bags i went to check on Snowberry who was awake at this point. "Snowie?" i called into her room.
"Yeah?"
Stepping into Snowberrys room i told her where i was going.
"When will you be back big sis?" She asked innocently after i finished telling her.
"Soon..... just try to keep father happy, he doesn't hate you like he does me but please Snowie try not to anger him." It was true, father never treated them the same, i wondered if it had something to do with Snowberry having a different mother.
"Ok..... sis"
I smiled at her, she was a cute little filly "If you get up now i'll get your breakfast ready"
Snowberry merely nodded in response.
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I walked towards the village square after making sure Snowie was at school safely, where i was greeted with 27 other ponies all with packed saddlebags mulling about waiting for what would come next, we spent the next few hours doing nothing but awaiting for a Royal Guard to come towards us, when it eventually happened the young looking Stallion ordered us into formation, something that didn't go well at all as our ragtag group barely knew what the world drill even meant let alone how to execute it but it was done eventually so that there was a marching order of 3 ponies per file.
The Guardspony then ordered us forward with a "PLATOON, QUICK MARCH"
We started down the steep road that led down into the lush green hills, i quickly noticed the increasing amount of greenery the further we descended and wondered what fathers reaction would be when he realised what his daughter, Boreal Prose had done.
Author's Note
Mature rating for gore that'll come in later combat scenes.
