The Ranger Book One: A thousand years ago.

Chapters

Chapter One: The Hunter
To The Castle
Star Swirl Approaches
Knightly Training
Grffons Attack
The march to war.
Sneaking in and making plans

Chapter One: The Hunter

PROLOGUE

Twilight Sparkle waited for Princess Celestia to get a free moment. Twilight had just gotten back from Cloudsdale, after Rainbow Dash had called her there to help identify a very old Coat of Arms. Twilight had exhausted every source of knowledge she had at her immediate disposal in Cloudsdale, had sent a message with a perfect recreation of it to Shining Armor in the Crystal Empire, and had torn through the library in Ponyville. None of them provided her the answers she was looking for. Though to be fair, Shining Armor had said it would take them a bit to complete a search of the Empires library.

That left Twilight with only one other option. Princess Celestia. Failing that, she hoped the princess would grant her access to the Royal Archives to find the answers. She hated not being able to answer questions, and while she loved doing research, it became annoying even to her when she ran into a brick wall.

“Twilight, what brings you here? You seem troubled. Is everything alright?” Princess Celestia asked, concern on her face.

“Yes, Princess. I wanted to ask you if you recognize this Coat of Arms? Rainbow Dash was helping to clean out some of the older storage areas that the Wonderbolts have, and they came across it. No one in Cloudsdale recognized it, so based on how old it seems, I was hoping that you might.” Twilight said as she levitated the shield over to Celestia in her magic.

Celestia took hold of it in her hands and looked at it for a long time. Her eyes seemed to be playing back events, some now long past. After fifteen minutes, Twilight was starting to grow worried.

“Princess Celestia? Are you alright?” She asked of her once long time mentor.

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry Twilight, I didn’t mean to make you worry. Yes, I recognize it. And it’s much older than you might think. I want you to go to the Archives and go into the Restricted Section. There’s a very specific set of journals I want you to find...”

📖

Nolan Nightwolven stalked his prey through the woods. He was fifteen and this was his hunt. His First Hunt. His father, the chief of the Plains tribe of Wolves, felt that was time for Nolan to have his right of passage. A year early, and as such he only had himself and his cousin Feris.

Fenris, all mighty Wolven of the hunt, grant me success. In your glory we live, in your will we fall. With this hunt, we honor you above all. Should you deem it, that I a young pup, be counted amongst your faithful and worthy, grant me success, and all my days I shall revere you above all others Nolan prayed.

Fenris was the Eternal Wolven. In the distant past, he had been a mortal wolf. Through great deeds, he had ascended to immortality and divinity. Wolves prayed to Fenris for success in the hunt, victory in battle, wisdom in in trade and diplomacy, serenity in death, compassion in matters of the heart, understanding and loyalty in friendship, and humility in defeat. Like Ponies, all Wolven had some form of magic. Normally, it was differentiated between different tribes based on geographical location. Nolan was currently using a series of complex spells that would aid him in tracking. Normally, tracking a ber through the Everfree, as the Ponies called it, wouldn’t be permissible, or prudent, especially for a First Hunt. However, the game had been scarce this spring so far, and Feris, who was older by four years, agreed that their options were limited, and very few could claim tracking and taking a bear for their First Hunt. Fewer still could make that claim while being in the depths of Myrkvior.

Feris, the earth brown Coyote grinned with a carefree glint to his eyes.“You know, Nolan, that if we manage to pull this off, you’re going to have a huge surge in popularity and renown. It’s my suggestion that you use your spear. Everyone uses a bow, but by using your spear, you’ll add glory to your hunt. Glory and honor that few can claim.” he whispered in a jovial tone.

“Yes, and probably get mauled by the bear for it. No offense, Feris, but I want to succeed. I don’t care about extra glory or honor. I just want to succeed, to be considered a hunter of our people. To earn a place, like you and many of the others who have helped me over the last few years to get to this point, at our tribes Council Fire. To be recognized by Fenris and accepted by our ancestors.” Nolan responded in the same hushed voice, but far more serious tone.

“And it is that kind of thinking that got your brother crippled. He tried to play it safe, and as a result, lost track of where he was and fell off that cliff. Had I been with him on that hunt, I could have helped him prevent that accident. At any rate, you may find my talents, and those of Loki, to be of use for you on this hunt. You’ll strike the killing blow, but there’s nothing wrong or against the Code by using the abilities of those with you. Wisdom is important, as is intelligence. Being wise and intelligent enough to know when and where as well as howto use others abilities to complete your goals is just as important as being honorable and glorious. The old hunters and warriors won’t tell you that. We can speak more on this later if you want. Your goal is is in sight, and the longer we sit here and blather, the more lead time it will gain.” Feris said as he wiped his brow.

Nolan nodded, and set off again at a slightly quickened pace. The spells he had used were useful in showing nearby tracks and making sign more easily seen. At the pace they were going, however, the spells weren’t as useful. It helped that Nolan had sharp eyes and a keen sense of smell, even among his tribe.

“He’s heading for a river near here. I doubt we’ll overtake him, but I’d wager my blades he’ll stop there for a drink. If we catch him there, we have a chance. It’s shallow in this stretch and the river itself will provide no challenge. If he crosses it however, we’ll have a harder time, as the trees get thicker on the far side.” Feris called out, the smell and sound of rushing water could be heard. They redoubled their efforts at speed, making the distance melt away like ice in the summer sun.
Feris had been proven right, as it turned out. The bear had stopped at the river and was drinking its fill in huge mouthfuls. There was a type of fish Nolan wasn’t familare with running, and the bear had probably also stopped to feed as well.

Nolan strung his bow, and made sure his arrows were accessible. He also made sure his spear was handy, which brought a smirk to Feris’ face. Nolan shrugged. Just because he wasn’t looking for more accolades, didn’t mean he shouldn’t be prepared for any eventuality. Feris did the same. This was Nolan’s hunt, and Feris followed his lead as a good second should. Nolan planned out the shot in his mind. His bow, which stood almost a half foot taller than he did, and was a powerful recurve rams horn bow, would reach further than a normal bow, and hit harder. Nolan would need that power if he hoped for the bow to even injure the bear. His brother had sourced all of the materials for it himself, and had learned how to make bows from the most experienced crafters in the village. After his accident, his brother gave him the bow after he could no longer use it. He gave it to Nolan with very little ceremony, but with no less gravity and seriousness. It had strengthened their bond, and had brought the older sibling some peace knowing that, at least in spirit he would be with Nolan on his hunts.

Nolan lined up a shot, that if it struck true and deep, it would slow the bear if it decided to run. The bear itself was a huge brown furred monster of a beast. Nolan estimated its weight to be in the neighborhood of eight hundred to nine hundred pounds of muscle, bone, teeth and claws with a thick hide and foul temper. It was large enough that the meat would help feed the tribe for months. If they were successful.

Nolan offered one last quick prayer to Fenris and let his arrow fly. As soon as his and Feris had shot they both dropped their bows and broke out of the treeline, spears in hand, brief war cries on their lips. The arrow had hit the bear exactly where Nolan had aimed it, but while it might slow it down if it decided to flee, the sudden pain angered it, and instead it started to charge them, roaring its rage at them. Reacting a bit faster than Nolan, Feris made use of his skill with illusions to create a number of copies of himself and Nolan to confuse the bear and buy Nolan a few extra seconds.

The bear was close now, and in Nolan’s estimation, it was probably best that they had left their bows in the trees. That left him his spear, his hunters knife, and if things got extremely desperate,his own teeth and claws. Nolan had crafted his spear himself, and had picked ironwood for the shaft. It had taken him the better part of a year to shave down the wood to the appropriate diameter for a spear shaft. He had to trade heavily for a large enough piece of obsidian for the spearhead, and much longer to properly achieve the knapping required. Originally, Nolan made those material choices out of a desire for something uniquely his own. Had he known how hard it was to work with those materials, he might have gone with the more traditional oak and granite. But now, with the bear charging at him, he was glad that he had over engineered and designed the spear, even though it took him twice as long to make.

Nolan prepped his spear and waded into the fight. Feris had been using his illusions to confuse the bear, and would come in and stab at its sides and rear. However, due to Feris being a faster and more nimble creature, the strikes did little more than anger the bear further. Right as Nolan closed to striking distance, the bear swatted at Feris, sending him flying. Nolan stabbed into its flank, if for no other reason than to keep it from chasing after and mauling his cousin. When Feris hit the ground, he bounced, rolled and then slammed into a boulder.

The impact caused Feris to lose his concentration, and the illusions faded out. With the bears undivided attention now firmly on Nolan, he braced himself for it to charge at him.

The bear charged.

However, Nolan thought it would rear up on its hind legs and swipe at him. Unfortunately, it stayed low and and batted at Nolan, sending him into a boulder as well. Nolan was knocked dumb for a moment, giving the bear time to close the distance. The bear was standing over Nolan, and as luck would have it, on his spear when Nolan came back to full awareness. The beast roared its fury as it was about to start mauling the hapless hunter. Nolan scrambled for his hunters knife, steeling himself as best he could for what was about to come. The bear reared back on its hind legs and prepared to strike.

Suddenly, a sharp curved protrusion erupted out of the bears upper abdomen from the back. The beast roared in yowled in pain and confusion. It was then forcefully flung to the side, revealing what had killed it. A true monster of the Everfree. Nolan was now facing a monstrosity normally only found in the deepest depths of the forest. The Manticore roared and took a step forward, its massive paw sending vibrations through the ground. Nolan recovered from the surprise, quickly surmising that the monster had been attracted by the bears roaring and had been able to sneak up on the scene unnoticed due to the bear and the sounds of the river. He managed to get his spear into one hand as the Manticore struck with its poisoned barbed tail. Nolan barely dodged it.

It struck again, and this time Nolan deflected it using his spear shaft. He could hear the shaft groan in protest, the Manticore clearly not screwing around. He dodged another blow, scrambling to his feet, and deflected two more strikes. The next one landed right on the shaft itself, shattering it and making it splinter into kindling at the point of impact. Feris had recovered and now found his cousin facing off against a Manticore with no chance of escape. This was the danger of solo and paired hunts, especially in the Myrkvior. It was for this very reason that First Hunts were done in groups of at least four hopeful hunters and two experienced ones. This hunt was not normal of course. Loki, the trickster Coyote god of the Wolven had his hand in that much. However, Feris personally doubted that the trickster had moved the Manticore into play. They Myrkvior was chaotic enough without his help.

This all passed through Feris’ mind in seconds as he picked his way through the rocks and water, his spear in hand. He hoped to be able to hit the Manticore at one of the wing joints, and then in one of its legs. If he could slow it down enough, they could escape with both of their lives. The hunt would be considered a failure, but if they survived, Nolan would still earn his adulthood because of surviving against one of the most dangerous creatures in the region.

Feris stabbed at the monster, but with his lighter built spear, even though it went deep it snapped in half when the beast spun around to face this newest threat. Feris pulled his matched pair of hunters long bladed knives and dodged the first strike by the tail, but one of the beasts mighty paws knocked him to the ground. The monstrosity pinned him to the ground and was about to gore him with its stinger when Nolan jumped on its back and began stabbing it with his hunters knife and and the his spear head, which still had enough of the shaft intact to provide a serviceable handle.

The Manticore bucked and jumped, it flared its wings and tried to strike at him with its tail, all in a series of efforts to dislodge the Wolf. It was all for naught though, as Nolan used his weapons to make bloody and wounding handholds to stay on the enraged beasts back. All the while he kept up his assault, stabbing as deeply as he could, while using the blades to climb his way up the Manticores back to attempt to stab at its head and neck. The Manticore leapt into the air, hoping that the sudden change would weaken its attackers purchase on its back.

At that moment, Nolan stabbed at one of the creatures eyes, and at its throat. The strike to the eye proved ineffective, but the one to the throat struck home and was very deep. The pair fell from the sky, though fortunately they weren’t very high up. Nolan rode the dying beast to the ground. They both landed with a bone breaking thud. Nolan considered himself lucky that the Manticore broke his fall. Feris came running up.

“Are you alright?” he asked his younger cousin with no small amount of concern.

“Yes. A handy Manticore broke my fall. Feris, pray tell, what is a Manticore and a bear worth for a First Hunt?” Nolan asked as he got up and brushed himself off as best he could. He pulled his weapons from the dead monster. His knife had a small gouge in the blade. His spearhead was fortunately in perfect condition.

“Hahahaha!” Feris laughed in genuine pleasure, then continued, “Nolan, when we come back with all of this, they might just try to make you chief. But in all seriousness, you have more than earned your place as an adult as far as I’m concerned. If they don’t grant it to you, then they’re fools. Come, lets harvest what we can from the bear, and get you your trophies from the Manticore.”

🐺

It took a few hours of work, but they managed to successfully harvest around five hundred pounds of meat from the bear, the full pelt which would be preserved and turned into Nolan’s tribal formal wear for visiting dignitaries and Council fires. The rear paws would be turned into slippers to help keep his feet warm at home in the winter. The claws would be turned into a necklace. From the Manticore, they harvested most of the tail with the stinger. They also collected the entire hide, complete with the mane. They cleaned themselves up in the river and made their way back to their village. By the time they got back, the evening fires had been set, and the smells of roasting vegetables, meats and fresh bread permeated the surrounding area. The two hunters were rushed to the Council lodge, where the elders, the chief and the village council members came out to speak with them.

“Nolan, my son. You’ve returned, none the worse for wear. How was your hunt?” Chief Longstrider asked.

“My Chief, your son has had one of the most impressive hunts I have ever heard of. We tracked a large bear for several miles, deep into the Myrkvior. The beast proved formidable, as it survived several strikes from my spear, an arrow from Nolan’s bow, and was laid low by circumstance.

Nolan, through no fault of his own, had been sent into a boulder by the bear. As it reared up to strike at him, Nolan drew his knife, prepared to savage the beast. Just as it was about to strike, it itself was attacked and killed by a Manticore. It struck at him, missing only because Nolan was quick on his feet, dodging the poison tail. He dodged and parried a number of other blows. His luck seemed to turn for the worse as it managed to land a blow right on the shaft of his spear with its cursed tail, shattering the weapon. It was at this point I reentered the fray, having been sent into a boulder by the bear earlier. I struck a blow on the monster, hoping to give us an opening to escape, but before I could pull my spear free, it turned, snapping my weapon in half. It knocked me to the ground and was about to kill me when Nolan leaped onto its back, savaging the foul creature with his knife and what remained of his spear. The monster jumped and shook, trying to dislodge Nolan, but his tenacity and drive kept him on. In a final, desperate attempt to free itself from your sons repeated stabs as he climbed up the creatures back, it leapt into the air to try and knock him off. Nolan managed to stay on and to strike a blow to its throat, causing it to fall back to the ground. The fall and the loss of blood, finally killing it.” Feris said at some length.

“My son, is this true? Does Feris speak truly?”

“Yes my Chief. Your nephew tells the truth. I offer the tail and hide of the Manticore as tribute and trophy to the tribe.” Nolan said as he pulled them both from his travois and handed them to his father.

He continued, “We also provide five hundred pounds of bear meat for the village. I claim the bear hide, rear paws and claws from the front paws for myself.” The chief nodded in thought as he took the tail and hide that were offered.

“We will talk on this matter, young hunter. Your hunt has far reaching consequences. It will require much talk, much discussion. We will call for you tomorrow at sundown. Do not be late.” The village shaman said as he looked Nolan over carefully.

“I won’t be late, elder.” Nolan said, bowing his head in respect. With that the elders and council members and chief went back inside the Council lodge. Many came up to Nolan to shake his hand and pat his back. They all had good things to say to him. His friends, who still had to wait their turn to hunt until next year looked at him with a combination of awe and slight resentment. A group of shewolves came up and relieved the victorious hunters of the fruits of their labors.

“Go home, and see to any wounds you may have and eat a good supper. You’ve earned it. Your mother is probably concerned about if you survived.” Feris said in a carefree voice to his younger cousin as they split up. Feris would go to the Feasting Hall, and take his fill of food, drink and attention. By this time tomorrow, Nolan would be a celebrity. No one can remember the last time a young hunter had taken a Manticore, much less on their First Hunt. Nolan went home, and after assuring his mother Raila that he was well, and letting her tend his minor injuries, he told her what happened, though with much less flare than how Feris had as he ate a warm home cooked meal.

After he told her the story, his mother took the pelt and began to prepare it for him to use as a ceremonial headdress. She would work on it for a number of hours tonight and finish it in the early morning. In the following days she would use her skill to make the slippers he wanted. Nolan made a necklace out of the claws, and he added a couple of eagle feathers he had found when he was younger to make it his own.

“All things considered, to day was good. And the necklace looks good to me, at least for now. All in all, Orion, we did good. I wish you could have been with me, but I know you were in spirit. Good night.” Nolan said to the small shrine he had set in his room for his brother who now sat with Fenris.

Author's Note

So, here it is. This is the first story I've ever published anywhere, but not the first story I've ever written. It took me the better part of a year to write this, and I have thirteen-ish more chapters ready to write up here and edit, so if you liked this story and would like to see more, leave a like or even a comment. Constructive criticism and questions are also appreciated.

To The Castle

The morning came early for Nolan. Feris was waiting for him in his families long house's dining area. His father was sipping of a glass of fruit juice as he chatted with Feris. Nolan's mother was preparing food and serving it when it was ready.

"Ah! Here he is! The conquering hero finally graces us with his presence." Feris said, chuckling as he spoke.

"Stop. He had a rough day yesterday. Here, dear. Eat, you'll need your strength." His mother said as she placed a plate loaded with bacon, eggs and diced and fried potatoes.

"Yes he did. As did Feris. Nolan showed his mettle. He was able to adapt to very adverse conditions and overcame powerful foes. He proved that he is ready to be an adult and join the Council. His voice will have bearing and his opinion will hold merit and sway. Feris, I want you to take him to the Castle of The Two Sisters and talk to a pony smith in the settlement there by the name of Heavy Hammer. He owes me a favor and I want him to make a set of armor for my son. Hammer will know what I want, but I want it made for Nolan's measurements. And make sure it can be used with his headdress. Nolan, bring your spearhead as it appears now. Hammer might fix it up for you as a gift. Take some time after you finish at Hammer's shop and familiarize yourself the ponies as much as you can. We view the Myrkvior as a cursed and dangerous place, so when the ponies set their settlement there, we didn't care. The elders fear that these newcomers with their new request for a trade for land will take what they want by force, taking land through violence and death. Should it come to that, they will not find us lacking. It is my hope, however, that our peoples can live in peace and harmony. I've said as much in my correspondences, limited as they are to the ponies rulers. The Sisters are strong, both physically and in magical power, but are relatively new to leadership, only being a little older than you Nolan. They show wisdom by having advisors for just about everything. Feris has been to their settlement before, so he will show you the way. Learn what you can about them. It will be of use to you later." The chief said at length.

Nolan and Feris had been eating while the chief spoke.

"As you command, father." Nolan said as he and Feris finished. They packed lightly for the journey. Nolan put his hunters knife on his belt, donned his new necklace, packed his bow and arrows as well as the remains of his spear. He also brought his collection of gemstones. While their value in the eyes of ponies may be slightly less, they could still be used to barter.

🌳

It took them most of the morning to reach the settlement, though they hadn't been moving very fast. Finding the smithy was easy enough. Communicating with the smith was a different matter. He spoke in a dialect that was unknown to either wolf and the accent in which he spoke was so thick as to make understanding him even more difficult. Fortunately, he had an assistant that could translate.

The measurement process took a couple of hours, and when they were done, the smith got right to work. His assistant said it would be a few months before it was finished. Heavy Hammer was more than willing to to give Nolan a new length of ironwood, which had already been cut and shaped down into a spear shaft. Hammer had also worked in a couple of enchantments that would strengthen the wood even more. After that, the two set out exploring. They got lunch at a small pony business that was called a tavern by the ponies, and seemed to serve the same roll as a feasting hall among the wolven.

Of course, after a couple of drinks, Feris started to tell the story of his brave and wise cousins First Hunt. Several looked at the pair with no small amount of skepticism. Many of the stallions who had the look of soldiers to them, while looking a bit dubiously at the young wolves, had a reserved respect for the young hunters. A few of the mares looked at them with a curious and...perhaps hungry look to their eyes.

They paid their tab and went through some of the shops. One of which was a jewelry store. The mare who ran it caught sight of Nolan's necklace and seemed to think that Wolven field craft and craft work, while lacking the sophistication of current pony styles, would sell very well due to their uncomplicated nature. She asked that Nolan bring it up to the proper authorities back at their settlement. It could bring some monetary improvements to both Ponies and Wolves.

Nolan assured her that he would. He traded an amethyst and two emeralds to her for a silver tiara with blue highlights and aquamarine stones for his mothers birthday. He thought that she would appreciate it. After finishing their business and with a final assurance of bringing up trade with his Chief, they said their goodbyes and stepped back outside.

"We'll need to move swiftly to ensure that we make it back before sundown. I can't guarantee that they'll induct you, but I'm very confident. Come. Let's get home quickly." Feris said as they began to jog out of the pony settlement.

The trip back was much faster, and they didn't run into any trouble along the way. Once back, his mother helped Nolan into a new set of buckskins which had a small and tasteful amount of bead work and feathers placed strategically. He arrived in front of the council lodge just as the sun dropped below the horizon. The elders and his father came out at that moment. The assembled villagers gave the chief their full attention.

"By now, you have all heard about Nolan's First Hunt, and how while on that hunt, he and his party were attacked by a Manticore. You have also more than likely heard how he killed that monster with little more than a knife and ruined spear. This kind of deed hasn't been done in an age on a First Hunt. What makes this deed well and truly worthy, is that they didn't go looking for the Manticore. They would have been pleased with the bear they were hunting. But when the challenge arose and presented itself, they didn't shirk from their responsibility to each other, and others who may have been in the area. They killed the beast and in so doing, have become legend.
"It is with this, and great joy and pride, that we acknowledge and accept Nolan as a member of the council and as a hunter and full member of our tribe." The last was spoken as his mother placed his new bear hide headdress over his shoulders. As she made a few last adjustments, Nolan whispered a quiet and heartfelt thank you to her, which was accepted and welcomed with a loving smile.

"Come, Hunter. It is time for you to take your place amongst the council fire." The tribe's Shaman said. As Nolan walked in, Feris was beside him and slipped him a small leather pouch.

"That's a high grade pipe tobacco. They'll ask you for an offering for the spirits, and when they toss that into the fire, I expect that the spirits will be very pleased with this offering. Just remember to always bring something small to offer to them." Feris whispered to the young wolf.

"Thanks. Anything else I should be aware of?"

"No, not really."

🔥

They walked into the lodge and found a place to sit around the fire. There was a banquet table to one side piled high with food for them to eat, along with ale, mead, and liquor. Several of the councilors started to pack the bowls of peace pipes and got other such things ready for use. Soon, the meeting was called to order and the offerings to the spirits and ancestors were made by all, with the chief and the shaman also making an offering to Fenris. Feris also made an offering to Loki in addition to the spirits.

When it came time for Nolan to make his offering, he tossed the pouch in, and as the fire consumed it, a series of multi hued lights swirled and danced over the fire and through the smoke.

'Thank you!' The words were spoken inside Nolan's head. The shaman looked at the lights and nodded sagely.

"The spirits are pleased with your offering, young Nolan. They may favor you with a small boon this evening." The spiritual leader of the tribe said with a pleased smile. Several topics were discussed, at length, through out the night. Most of them were easy enough to speak about. Everything from the planting of the plants they used for medicine and food, to organizing next years First Hunt. There were enough youngsters to warrant at least two such events. Possibly even a third.

After that, the chief stood and spoke to the council.

"I have here a missive from the leadership of the Ponies. They ask for a grant, a trade for some of our lands. This is no easy thing. I am inclined to trade them for the lands, but what would be fair? For every part of our territory, there would have to be a different price. What say you all?"

Some were on the fence, some vehemently opposed. Some were for it, while others stayed completely silent. After some argument, with a few of those involved getting rather heated, the chieftain called for quiet.

"Nolan. You have heard all the arguments, you know what the Ponies ask for. What do you think?"

"My chief, I would say no..." Nolan started as he was suddenly and loudly cut off by the council erupting in agreement and praise for his wisdom as well as condemnation for his poor choice.

"I WOULD SAY NO, PROVISIONALLY!" Nolan shouted over the crowd. All other speaking stopped.

"I will here your provisions." The chief replied.

"I was approached by a business owner who wanted to set up trade between us for some of our hand and field crafts in exchange for their hard currency. I would say that we use this as a means of testing to see how the Ponies fare as business partners. If they prove honest and fair, then we can explore avenues which could lead to trading for the land they want. It will take longer, but in the end, I believe we will gain enough knowledge about Ponykind to better judge if they are honorable. If they prove true, then we have a new set of friends. If not, we can make plans and take steps to keep them trapped in the Myrkvior. Time, my chief, will prove to be our greatest asset and friend in these coming days and weeks." Nolan spoke at length, laying out a small frame work for the council to consider.

"There is wisdom in what you say, Nolan. I will send a message back asking them to send a negotiator to discuss terms of setting up a trade agreement or two. Do you remember the the name of the mare that asked you to trade with her?" The chief asked.

"Yes her name is Emerald Star. She was kind if just a little insistent about me promising to speak with those responsible for such things. I even did a little business with her, and she was very fair, though to be honest, I don't know if that was to make me more inclined to help her with her trade proposition, or if she's normally a fair trader." Nolan said as he thought back to the encounter.

"Very well. We will look into this matter in more depth once the negotiator arrives." The chief said as they all began to eat and drink. The peace pipes were starting to make their way around the fire.

"Is there any other matters that need discussion?" The shaman asked. No one seemed to have any other business. No one except Feris.

"I have something that I would like the council to make an official ruling on." Feris declared firmly.

"And what would that be?" one of the other councilors asked.

"I move that this council rule, when the time is correct, that Nolan be placed as the head of our warriors, once he has completed the warrior training and this council agrees that he has earned such a position. I know that this is slightly out of order, but while we have many skilled hunters, and many brave warriors, none of them have slayed a Manticore, and none have been deemed by this council worthy of the position." Feris said with a smirk.

The shaman and the chief spoke quietly to each other for several moments. After some time they stopped.

"What you suggest Feris, is inappropriate at this time. While Nolan has achieved adulthood and proven his skill and bravery, he isn't old enough for the position you suggest. However, putting him through the warrior training is a prudent idea as it would improve many of his skills. What say you, Nolan?" The shaman asked.

Nolan thought about it for a moment. Warrior training wasn't taken lightly, and it wasn't just handed out. The skills would be useful, and it would help his prospects with the shewolves when that time came. But did he want to be a warrior? He had hopped for a peaceful life.

'You will not know peace. Not for many years. But you will know it. Someday. a voice of strength and power said in his mind. It was so much different from the earlier voice that it made him jump slightly. He realized that everyone was still waiting on his answer.

"I will take the training. It will strengthen our tribe, our people. When do I start?" Nolan asked.

"Not for a week at most. I will send for you. Keep your spear with you." Frost Paw, one of the old warriors said with a knowing smile. With that, the evening came to an end.

Star Swirl Approaches

The next few days went as normal, as there weren't council fires every night. That also included patrols and hunts. Nolan was sent to patrol the border of the Myrkvior closest to the pony settlement. That day was a big day for Nolan, though he didn't know it at the time. He was doing his patrol route, and would stop as dictated by the schedule. On those stops he would drink from his water skin and work on fixing his spear. When lunch came he stopped and prepared a relatively simple meal, but good enough to get him through to dinner at home.

As he was eating, he looked up and saw a group of ponies approaching. He stood and picked up his bow and knocked an arrow.

"Halt! Who goes and what is your business?" Nolan called out so they would hear him. There were nine of them. Eight had the look of actual soldiers. The other one, he was an older pony. He had a long beard and wore two tone blue clothing covered in gold stars with a similar colored pointed hat with gold crescent moons. The group came to a stop close to where Nolan stood so they wouldn't have to yell at each other.

"I am Star Swirl The Bearded, advisor and court wizard to Princesses Celestia and Luna. I have come to find one amongst your people who has been stored of slaying a Manticore bare handed. I wish to speak with him about how he managed such a legendary feat." The old pony said.

"Nolan is my name. And it wasn't bare handed. My cousin Feris would make it sound much more impressive, but I killed it with my hunters knife and what was left of my spear after the beast had destroyed most of the shaft. Making a long story short, I ended up slitting its throat."

"You? You're barely out of being a pup! How could you be so brazen as to lie? Taking someone else's achievements is dis-" said one of the pony soldiers, just as he was cut off.

"I WILL NOT BE CALLED A LIAR BY INVADERS WHO KNOW NOTHING OF ME, MY PEOPLE, OR OUR STRUGGLES!" Nolan practically roared. He was normally much more calm than this, but the pony's words had gotten under his skin.

'He has the look of a warrior, and his eyes show that he is.' Star Swirl thought to himself.

"My apologies, warrior. My guards meant no disrespect. My mission is one of peace. The Princesses sent me to find you and learn more about your people. I have been given the authority to negotiate trade treaties, and to act as a source of knowledge for your people concerning pony culture and society. If required, I am prepared to send my guards back to the castle so that I may prove my integrity." Star Swirl said as he tried to calm the situation down a little bit.

Nolan took a couple of deep breaths and visibly forced himself to calm down.

"I too, must apologize. I've not had many accolades up to this point because I AM young. No one wants their achievements to be downplayed or shifted to someone else." Nolan said evenly, with far more calm than he had a moment ago.

"You show no small amount of wisdom. I can already see that you'll be a fine warrior as you get older. How should we continue?" the old wizard asked.

"I need to take you to the village. There, you will meet with the Chief and the council. They will want to question you thoroughly, at length and in detail. My people are cautious and in general, don't make decisions quickly or rashly. Patience and an open mind with a fair bit of humility will serve you best." Nolan said as he gathered his things and repacked them.

"How long will it take to reach your village?" one of the soldiers asked.

"Not long. Only a couple of hours, if you ponies can keep up with me. But due to your position of leadership, I'll let you Star Swirl set our pace. The faster we go, however, the sooner you can start your mission." Nolan stated, putting the ball squarely in the ponies court.

"I will keep any pace you set, warrior." Star Swirl replied confidently.

"Very well." Nolan said and took off at a very brisk pace. By the halfway point, the soldiers were all sweating, and Star Swirl was panting hard. Nolan paused to think and for them to catch up.

'They've proven that they can face physical hardship. Stopping so that they can take some water and catch their breath isn't only prudent, but also kind. I doubt they'll get much of the latter for a bit at first. Something about this groups leader seems off. I don't doubt what he says, but I question if we're seeing the real him.' Nolan thought to himself as they caught up with him. After they had drank some water and Star Swirl had caught his breath, they set back out again. This time at a more reasonable speed. They arrived in the early evening, and Nolan brought them in front of the council lodge while calling for the Chief and the council.

"Nolan, who are these ponies? Why have you brought them here?" the Shaman asked.

"They have come as negotiators and envoys." Nolan responded, as he motioned to Star Swirl.

Introductions were made and Star Swirl was invited to sit at the fire, as were his guards. The council asked many questions of the ponies, and wanted to know what their princesses intentions were. The old pony did his best to alleviate any concerns that the council would have, and for night one, did as well as anyone could have. Nolan would have liked to learn more directly as the rest of the council, but his warrior training started that week, and he found himself far too busy.

The days sped by, and as summer marched ever closer, he was learning quickly and was soon at the halfway point of his training. He was now an expert at all of the tools and weapons he was expected to know or have the possibility of using as a member of his tribe and as a warrior. He could now use the bow, spear, buckskin shield, wooden shield, tomahawk, ax and knife as well as any hunter. He only lacked experience, and that would come with time.

Relations with the ponies had only improved, and continued to do so. There was now a regular trade route from the castle to the village, and Emerald Star was one of the wolven's most valued customers. Many of the wolven craft masters were now making items for the pony businessmare almost exclusively, and were pulling in so many bits that even the rest of the village was profiting from it.

Nolan had been back to the the castle to get his armor fitted and came home with it. He wore it out of Hammer's shop, and while it fit well and didn't feel like it weighed much, he felt that it wasn't quite right. Hammer had even crafted a rune kite shield that had a stylized wolfs head with a Manticore in its teeth placed upon it. Hammer had also crafted a sword for him as well, and bot the sword and shield matched the armor in coloration, that being a leaden grey tinged with green on the outer edges. The sword, which Nolan learned was called a Gladius.

Nolan would have felt better about all the extra equipment, if he actually knew how to use it. He could make use of the shield, once he got use to the weight of it. The sword was an entirely new endeavor. He figured he could make use of it in a similar fashion to a really big Hunters knife, at least until he learned how to use it properly. The armor did, and would require him to think about how he was going to move before he did, and to keep his speed in mind.

When he returned, one of the ponies that was assigned as one of Star Swirls guards noticed the new equipment. He walked up to Nolan and looked the heavy plate armor over. It was a well crafted set, and polished to a fine sheen. It was a combination of heavy plate and chain mail. The helmet was done in the form of a bears head with an open mouth, with Nolan's head in the opening. The plates along the neck were hinged to allow for a fair bit of up and down movement and maximum allowed vision. The Pegasus stallion, who had a white coat and blue mane shot through with silver looked over the young wolf.

"I am Tempest Knight. I can tell that even though that armor was made for you, you don't know how to wear it. Nor do you know how to use it with your new shield. I'm also willing to bet that you've never held a sword before today, have you?" the Pegasus asked, his voice gravelly with age and experience.

"No, this is all very new. The shields my people make are of wood or specially cured leather. We don't have the infrastructure for this much steel or iron. All of our arrow and spear heads are made of stone or bone. Our knives are often bone or stone, but enough are made of steel. Mine is. About the only weapon we make that uses steel exclusively are the heads for our tomahawks. We make armor, but it's often leather with laquered wood or bone scales over the top to add some protection. I doubt very much any of the warriors of my people know how to use, much less maintain or repair any of this." Nolan said with dismay, as it meant that he would not be able to use it very often for fear of irreparable damage.

"I can teach you how to use it, and how to care for it. Most of the repair work you'll need a proper smith for, but what I can teach you will keep it in good enough shape that if you need repairs, you'll have enough time to find a smith. It will take a few weeks of training for you to master the basics, if you have the talent. Once that's complete, we can start working on the more advanced applications. Though, you should probably get your Chiefs permission. Don't need or want you wolves thinking I'm trying to corrupt the youth or some such." Tempest said plainly.

"I'll talk to him about it and see what he thinks. But between you and I, even if he says no, I'll either take you up on your offer, or I'll go to your people's settlement and learn from someone there that may be willing to teach." Nolan said with a nod and a thankful smile to the pony. Nolan was truly pleased that he could potentially learn how to use it. He walked on to the Council lodge. On his way to the lodge, he stopped by his home and gathered his head dress and brought it along.

Once he got into the lodge, he made his way to his father, who was talking with the Shaman and Star Swirl. The Shaman looked up, and upon seeing Nolan, he did a double take.

"Whatever it is, it can wait until I'm done here. If the Princesses need me urgently, they can contact me directly. Go back outside and wait for my instructions." Star Swirl said with annoyance slipping through to his voice, thinking that Nolan was one of his guards. The Chief smirked slightly and the Shaman had a full on grin.

"Well, I suppose I could, but seeing as I don't work for you, nor do I report to you about anything, that set of instructions would be rather difficult to complete." Nolan said as he couldn't help but grin.

"My sincere apologies, Nolan! I didn't mean to presume that you were one of my lowly guards." Star Swirl said, trying to save face, as he looked up at Nolan with a mortified expression.

"Clearly. My chief, I have retrieved the armor you had made for me, and it fits well enough. I don't know how to use it very well, however, one of Star Swirl's "Lowly Guards" has offered to teach me not only how to use these new items, but also how to care for them. Tempest Knight says it will take a few weeks of training for the basics, and a bit longer for the more advanced training. He offers this, but only if I receive your permission for it." Nolan said as he watched Star Swirl's face go though the emotions of being embarrassed, to anger, to confused and finally shock. Apparently, something about the offer wasn't what the he had expected.

"Hmm. I think we can allow a "Lowly Guard" the opportunity to teach you to use your new items properly. What do you think, Star Swirl?" The Chief asked with a slight chuckle.

"Certainly, Chief. If Tempest Knight feels he has the experience, knowledge and time to teach a would be new student in the ways of warfare, who am I to argue? Princess Luna assigned Tempest Knight to my retinue for his peerless ability on the battlefield and his tenacity. He will be a great teacher for Nolan." the wizard said, trying hard to sound pleasant about it. It seemed as if Tempest Knight had outmaneuvered him and he took some exception to that.

Knightly Training

The weeks went by, and soon, Nolan was able to keep up with Tempest, and come close to landing a blow or two against the experienced knight.

"Keep your sword tip up and pointed at me! If you don't your enemy will make you pay for it!" Tempest admonished Nolan. To be fair, Nolan had been learning, and doing so quickly. Tempest rarely had to get on his case very often now, and Nolan, while he had to practice and train, he was becoming a natural for sword play. They stopped to take a break to get some water and catch their breath. The near constant training from Warrior Training and now his new training under Tempest had caused Nolan to burn off much of his childhood fat. In its place, he had gained a fair bit of muscle mass and stayed lean and fit.

"We're being watched." Tempest said very quietly. Nolan did a very casual look around, making it look like he was stretching his neck and back.

'There she is.' Nolan thought to himself. Off to the side, Nolan could see Valkiriya watching them carefully. Her fur was more of a reddish color and her eyes were a gentle green. She was a Fox, like Nolan was a Wolf and Feris a Coyote. One could draw a similar connection between Wolves, Foxes and Coyotes much like one could between Pegasi, Unicorns and Earth Ponies. Wolves were considered the physically strongest like Earth Ponies, and were generally considered to be the best warriors like Pegasi. Though all three varieties were capable of being great warriors. Foxes were often best with magic, religion and administration much like their Unicorn counterparts. Coyotes are best at stealth, and are fond of practical jokes. They also manage a great deal of the farming duties of the Wolven tribes. That being said, any one of the three could do what any of the others could do just as well. These are just the generalities and species norms.

Valkiriya was the best of the tribe. She was best at magic, knew all of their tribes rituals, rights and holy ceremonies better than almost anyone else. She was the Shamans daughter and been groomed to lead from the spiritual and religious front. She was well versed in spears, shields, knives, bows, and axes as anyone else in the tribe. No one had more magical power either. She was exceptionally gifted. In times long past, there were far more of such individuals. But now, only a few were born every few generations. Once she completed her training, she would then go to the other tribes beyond the plains to learn from them. Once she had completed that task, she would hold the title of High Priestess and would help to guide her people into the future.

"May I try that?" she asked walking over to them, indicating the sword training. Tempest raised an eyebrow and looked at Nolan. Nolan for his part, shrugged his shoulders and nodded. Tempest grunted.

"Here. Put this and this on. It's a set of training armor and helmet. These blades are blunted and incredibly dull, but they can still break bones and brain ponies. I doubt you'll be much challenge, but you'll probably be better than Nolan was before he started learning." The Pegasus said as he lead her back to the make shift training circle after she had gotten the training armor on. Once she was ready, Tempest got into a fighting position. Tempest swung his sword, but before it could come anywhere near Valkiriya, Nolan interrupted them.

"STOP! Tempest, if you don't attack her like you mean to hurt her, you'll never get a good feel of if she's a challenge or not." Nolan stated as a matter of known fact. Tempest stopped in mid swing, looked at Nolan with a look of minor annoyance, then shrugged his shoulders.

"Her funeral." The Pegasus said with about as much emotion as one might have about taking out the trash. Tempest reset, and upon seeing that she was ready, nodded at her. He swung, and if it were his normal sword, it might have done something savagely efficient for stopping an opponent. That of course, was assuming that Valkiriya was where she was expected to be.

The fact that she wasn't gave the old Pegasus warrior a reason to step back and consider what was going on. Valkiriya had dropped then spun into a roll that took her out to Tempest's left. Tempest took a large and powerful step towards the younger Fox and attempted to bean her with his shield.

Valkiriya then did something that Nolan thought might be possible with the training armor, but likely not with full armor like what he owned. She timed a back flip, so that the shield strike passed through the space she had been in. However, the weight of the training armor threw her balance off, and her landing was less than graceful. She landed flat on her back.

Tempest, who had been caught off guard by the back flip was out of position to attack her while she was on her back. Valkiriya scrambled away and back to her feet, while trying to recover from having the wind knocked out of her after the poor landing. The fight went on for a bit longer, before Tempest had managed to disarm her and she conceded.

"You did well for your first time with armor and a sword. That back flip was inspired, and if you were in the armor your people normally wear, you probably would have been able to press an attack and possibly made me think twice." Tempest said to the young Fox in praise and encouragement.

"You could learn a few things about unorthodox thinking from her, Pup." Tempest said to Nolan, gently ribbing him. In truth, Tempest was impressed with how far and how quickly Nolan had not only picked up the old knights training, but the actual talent for it he displayed.

"Really? Nolan is one of the best for hunting and he is the youngest to ever earn the right to be trained as a warrior. And while I'd like to admit that circumstance and luck were involved, it takes a certain amount of unorthodox thinking to kill a Manticore." Valkiriya said in defense of Nolan's pride.

"Which, if I was being uncouth and unkind, I would say that those facts bring up some very unsettling and serious deficiencies in Wolven military practices, standards and doctrines." Tempest responded with a hard glare, then it softened very slightly.

"However, he has improved by leaps and bounds since he started, and he has learned quickly. He'll be a masterof how we Ponies conduct warfare once he's had a few years of experience. As far as anyone who's bound to the ground and unable to learn or use magic is concerned." Tempest continued.

Both Nolan and Valkiriya exchanged a glance with each other. They both knew that Pegasi were the best warriors of the pony tribes, and that Unicorns with their powerful magics and noble heritages, filled unique positions in pony military doctrine and organization, but it almost seemed as if Wolven practices were either being ignored, or hadn't disseminated down yet.

"Nolan will never fly. No Wolven will. And while he will never be a Shaman or a Skald, he is one of the more versed and strongest of our Ioralaz, a Runemaster, that our tribe has. And like your Earth Ponies, we Wolven are tied to the land, and as such have Earth based magics." The young Fox tried to explain.

"Hmm. I'd wager you both a weeks pay that Star Swirl has looked over your magics and has dismissed them out of hand as being weak and pathetic when compared to his magics, or more likely, has dismissed them due to his perception of them being primitive and unrefined when compared to Pony magic. He doesn't mean anything by it, or at least I really hope he doesn't. He's just old and one of the most powerful Unicorn wizards in our history. If he mentions it, or comes off unkindly about it, don't hold it against him. He's flawed, like we all are, and age, power and position have all brought with them a certain amount of arrogance. The Princesses, while easily more powerful in magic than he or any spell master you have, are at least wise enough to know that no power or talent should be discounted out of hand." The knight said as they went through a few more bouts. Both Wolven nodded and tried to learn what they could.

🌅

Summer was now in full swing, and Nolan had finished his Warriors Training, and had the endorsement of the tribe's War Leader, Frost Paw to call himself and be hailed as Warrior. It wasn't much, but the new title was an improvement and promotion from that of Hunter. His father had been teaching him the finer points of leadership and of being a Chief. Both Frost and Valkiriya believed that it was in preparation to him being made War Leader, or perhaps after some time, War Master.

With Nolan completing his Warrior Training, he had much more time to train with Tempest, much to the pleasure of the Old Knight. Nolan was a master of spear combat, and Tempest had given him a pony made spear, which after he got accustomed to the weight, was easily able to beat Tempest more often than not. With a sword, Nolan was by far the best student Tempest had ever had. They were evenly matched when Nolan was wearing his heavy plate and chain armor, but if he was in leather armor or even the training armor, his speed allowed him to beat the knight around half the time they spared.

"Nolan, as far as I'm concerned, you've completed Squire Training. Once I return home and speak with Princess Luna, I'll tell her that we should consider making you a knight. Of course, that assumes that our people continue to walk the path of Friendship. If it happens, serving the Princesses as a knight will prove beneficial to you. You'll get more training and equipment. You'll gain a fair bit of experience that if you should ever become Chief, will benefit your people greatly, to say nothing of the political ties you'll create. It would come with the cost of military service for a number of years as a Knight, being at the beck and call of the Princesses. Ultimately, the choice will be yours and yours alone." Tempest said as they stopped for lunch. It was at that point one of the pony soldiers came running up.

"S-sir- Tempest..." The soldier gasped, short of breath having obviously ran at full speed to get to their training area that was well outside the village.

"Take your time, Corporal. Catch your breath. Take some water." Tempest told the younger Unicorn stallion. Nolan offered the pony his water skin, and with a silent look of thanks and appreciation, took it and drank from it deeply, but making sure not to make himself sick. After he had drank his fill and caught his breath, he handed the skin back to Nolan and came to attention and saluted Tempest. Tempest returned the salute as the soldier made his report.

"Sir Tempest, Star Swirl the Bearded requires you to report the the Wolven Council Lodge immediately with your full kit. Warrior Nolan, I bring similar instructions for you from your father, Chief Longstrider, chief of the Wolven Tribe of the Plains."

Tempest and Nolan exchanged a look between each other, as they both thought this was odd and out of place.

"What has gotten up the old wizards rear? Did he anger our hosts?" Tempest asked.

"No, sir. He received a message from Princess Luna and after reading it, he called for you and advised Chief Longstrider to do the same. for Warrior Nolan. I don't know what was in the message, but it must be important, otherwise he would have sent you a missive through magic." the young Corporal reported.

"Head back and inform them that we'll be there directly." Tempest ordered the soldier. They exchanged salutes, and the soldier ran off with his message. Once he was out of earshot, Tempest turned to Nolan with a grunt.

"Do you need anything from your home?" Tempest asked. Nolan thought for a moment.

"I should probably get my headdress, but if this is as urgent as he made it sound, I can skip it. I have my armor, shield, sword, spear, knife and if I need it, I can send for my bow. Help me get my breast plate on and we can set off." Nolan said as he took off his shield and picked up the chest armor. Once he was re-armored, the two made haste and made very good time to the Lodge. They entered with no fan fair, and Nolan noticed the pony soldiers were fully equipped and ready for a fight. The few Wolven, Warriors and several Hunters were also there and were likewise ready. Star Swirl Looked up at Tempest's approach.

"The Griffins have attacked our east coastal settlement. We may be at war soon." Star Swirl stated bluntly.

Author's Note

Here we go. Now we're about to start entering the real action of the story, from which the rest of the story after this one will be influenced. If there's any questions so far, please feel free to ask. I hope to either have the next chapter up either tomorrow or Wednesday. Thanks for reading!

Grffons Attack

"Was it regular army troops? Mercenaries? Brigands?" Tempest asked with a very serious expression.

"I don't have that information yet. You're one of the best fighters we have, Tempest. I have no doubt that the Princesses will recall you to either lead or be a part of the response expedition. At the behest of our hosts, I have sent a message to the Princesses informing them of the tactical situation here, as well as your progress with young Nolan. Our hosts have also offered military, medical and food relief if needed. Are you ready to depart if you need to?" The old wizard asked the Knight. Tempest merely nodded that he was. Just then a message from both of the Princesses, as it bore both of their seals, arrived in front of Star Swirl. He gripped it with his magic and after opening it, began to read.

"Sir Tempest Knight, a detachment of Equestrian Knights of the Fifth Mounted and Hoof with a platoon of twenty Equestrian Army troops from the Seventh Regiment are on their way here. Once they arrive, you are to take command. Chief Longstrider, the Princesses gladly accept your offer of support and ask if you can send some of your warriors to help with any fighting that may be encountered. If you can also get part of a relief column readied, it can set out with the one the Princesses are assembling. Sir Tempest Knight, when you take command of the expeditionary force, you and any Wolven support are to march to the coastal settlement and secure it, kill or drive off any hostile Griffins you find, take prisoners if any surrender and provide aid to the citizens." Star Swirl said as he finished reading the missive. Chief Longstrider and War Leader Frost Paw were in a hushed conversation.

"Nolan. Step Forward." Frost said gravely. Nolan squared his shoulders and did as commanded.

"You are hereby made War Leader. You may select ten Hunters or Warriors to travel with you. Help our Pony friends. Remind the Griffins why they don't bother us. Fenris guide you, Fenrir clear your path, and may Artimis keep you. Bring glory to your family and tribe and wrath to your enemies." his father told him. Nolan brought his right fist to his chest over his heart as a way of salute, the gauntlet of his armor making a strong *clang* as it hit the armor of his breastplate.

"As you command, Chief." Nolan said, then stepped back. He left with Tempest, the Knight having to see to his lance along with his spear and bow. Nolan went to the first member of the tribe that came to his mind for such an endeavor.

"Feris. I need you. Your council, your magics, your wisdom, your friendship and anything else you will give me. Nolan said as he and Feris clasped forearms.

"I am yours. What troubles you?"

"I have been made War Leader. I've been told to gather no more than ten Hunters or Warriors to march with our pony friends to their coastal settlement to the East. You will be my second. I would normally select a member of my immediate family, but..."

"You've no brothers left with the living, and I am your only male cousin in the village at the moment." Feris finished Nolan's sentence with a nod.

"I will gladly accept. I take it we don't have much time to make our selections. I know of three blooded Hunters who would be good choices. One is Sven Evenstar. He is more scholar and theologist than Warrior, but I was with him on his First Hunt and he is a trained and true Hunter. Crow Caller is even better with a bow than your brother was, and is easily my match for stealth. Hlalvar is a brute of a Wolf, and may have some of the old Timbre Wolve blood in his veins. He uses a strange weapon, a stone head rune carved hammer on a four foot long handle. He's nicknamed it "Fenris' Thunder". I know we can take ten, but I would suggest one or two more at most. Otherwise, we might weaken the village." Feris said at length. Nolan nodded in thought.

"Get them, and make sure they are wearing the best armor our people can make. Give them all wooden shields with steel rims and backings. Each should have a spear or two and at least their Hunter's knife. If any of them wish for tomahawks, get them. Make sure their packs are filled with food, water, bedding, and care kits for their equipment. I'll see if I can find one more. These are my orders as War Leader." Nolan said at last.

"By your command, War Leader." Feris said with a smirk and headed off to get the others of their force. Nolan walked into the village further, until he found the home he was looking for. This Lodge belonged to the village Shaman, who was also father to Valkiriya, and her little brother who had tested earlier than Nolan had been due to his natural affinity with spears.

"Traivor? Are you there, Traivor?" Nolan called out into the lodge. Traivor and Valkiriya walked out onto the wrap around deck. The former had a look of curiosity on his face, the latter a warm and welcoming smile.

"What brings you here, Warrior Nolan?" Traivor asked.

"I've been made War Leader in response to a situation involving our Pony friends. I've been told to gather a group of Hunters and Warriors to help the ponies fight off a group of Griffons. I have need of your phalanx fighting." Nolan said. All of it was true, but he also said it with as few details as possible since time was a factor. Valkiriya's smile vanished, and an expression of concern, not just for her brother, but for the Tribe came over her face.

"How soon? Why Traivor?"

"Valk-" Traivor began, but was silenced by Nolan raising his hand.

"My Lady Valkiriya, we must be ready to go at a moments notice. As for why I selected your brother, his is best with a spear and shield in the village. I've also selected Feris, Crow Caller, Sven Evenstar and Hlalvar. With Traivor, our force numbers six including myself. Between myself, Crow Caller and Feris we have a good bow formation that can quickly shift to other forms of combat. Sven is well trained in many of our ways and will serve as medic for our force. We all will have spears and shields, and the further we can keep the Griffons from us while still killing them, the better off we'll be. To be sure, there are others in the village I could call on. But your brother is best and at the top of my list. He is free to say no. I and no one else will judge him poorly or treat him any differently." Nolan explained to her.

"I give you my word that I will do all I can to see to it he returns home safe." Nolan added.

"I choose to go. If not me, then who? And would they be better or worse? No, I will go." Traivor said with conviction.

"Get your shield, armor and spear. Make sure you bring your Hunters Knife and pack." Nolan said as the younger Fox went back inside for his equipment and gear.

"He's too young for this. The Griffons are relentless and savage combatants." Valkiriya said seriously to Nolan.

"Perhaps, but if not now, then when? I've seen how some of the other Hunters treat him. While not unkind, they don't let him test himself. I heard that on his hunt, he was tracking a bear, but part way through he was convinced to divert to the deer he brought back. It will be a number of days travel, and I and Feris can spend that time getting him ready for this. The older Hunters won't give him a chance. As War Leader, I can give him a leg up and give him the chance to gain a few accomplishments that will help him once he comes of age for looking to start a family." Nolan said to calm Valkiriya.

Traivor came back out at that point, fully kitted out.

"I'm ready, War Leader."

Valkiriya just shook her head,the concern for her little brother palpable.

"Come back with your shield, young warrior. Or on it. Good luck, good hunting and may Artimis guide you." Valkiriya said as she then gave her brother a tight and loving hug.

"Come, Traivor. The others should be gathered by now." Nolan said as they left.

🐺

Once Nolan and Traivor arrived out front of the Council Lodge, it was proven that the rest of the group Feris had been sent to collect were indeed there. They were all equipped as Nolan had requested, along with their specialized gear. There were also bows, arrows and replacement bowstrings for everyone. They would all carry three spears, a shield, their knives, a bow with a full quiver of arrows, their own personal weapons, care kits for their weapons and armor, food water, bedding and medical supplies.

Traivor and Crow Caller were able to get chain mail, which while adding some weight, it would still allow them to move more freely, and in the case of Crow, wasn't too noisy. The others, aside from Feris, were outfitted in the best scale mail armor the village could create. Feris elected to keep his hide armor, but chose to reinforce it with a chain shirt and gambeson. Nolan was wearing his his heavy plate and chain, which he added a gambeson to as well instead of the padding he normally had. Everyone was given a pair of tomahawks, and in the case of Hlalvar he had a double headed battle ax, his rune carved stone hammer, and on his back a large barrel.

"Hlalvar? What's in the barrel?" Nolan asked pointedly.

"Fravfnir! The best batch I've made yet! It should be fully ready by the time we get to where we're going. That should be a good moral booster. What are we fighting?" The big Wolf asked, pride slipping into his voice about his brewing skills.

"Griffons. Is that going to be a problem for you?" Nolan asked with a little concern.

"Not at all. My grandfather had a necklace of Griffon Claws when he was my age. Perhaps I will too!" Hlalvar replied with a smile. He was a Wolf with a near permanent sunny disposition.

"Maybe you will." Nolan said as he made a final check with all of his wolves. Feris had done an excellent job. Everyone had everything Nolan had outlined and several things besides. Not only did they have food and medicine for themselves, but they were bringing enough with them for three times their number so that they could give the besieged ponies some immediate aid. Nolan walked up to Tempest as the older Knight turned to look at the young wolf.

"Pup."

"My Hunters are ready and equipped. I only have six including myself. Feris said that more than that could weaken the villages defenses, and I agree. In addition to our gear and equipment, we have enough food, water and medicines for ourselves, but also enough medicine and food for three times our number so that the ponies of the settlement can get some immediate aid. I can give you a full run down of what we're carrying if you feel a need for it." Nolan said with a small smile.

"No, I trust you and Feris to equip and manage your Hunters. You're War Leader, but you have a smaller force, and none of you have been in a fight like what we're likely to ride up on. None of you have ever fought Griffons. I'm not going to say I know more than you, but in this case, I do. Listen to what I have to say, but don't think you can't make suggestions or give your own opinions. This is a joint effort, and if you're anything to go off of, even six Wolven would be a huge boon to our overall fighting force. I'll more than likely utilize you and your Hunters as scouts and skirmishers. That being said, your hunter are yours. They report to you, you report to me, and we try to dislodge the Griffons." Tempest said as he looked up.

"They're here." he said as he pointed out the soldiers walking up to the Wolven Village. The Knights were all Pegasi in this instance, and had armor and weapons similar to Tempest. The Army troops were equipped with heavier armor and were lead by a Unicorn Captain. She was a primrose colored mare with a very light pink mane that was peaking out slightly from her helmet.

"Sir Tempest Knight. I'm Captain Shining Star of the Seventh. I have additional orders for you." the Army officer said as she approached and saluted. Tempest waited for her and returned the salute when she was closer.

"This is War Leader Nolan Nightwolven. He'll be leading the Wolven contingent. Now, before you grouse over the small numbers, they're coming as a courtesy and a sign of good faith. I've seen what they are capable of. We've got a very nasty surprise for the Griffons." Tempest said with a malicious grin.

The march to war.

The march to the pony settlement would take the span of several days and Nolan was spending that time getting to know the new player in this party, Captain Shining Star. She was a soldier, through and through, her demeanor and attitude that of a career Army soldier. She was a mustang, that being a soldier who had started off as an enlisted common infantry fighter, and through hard work and effort had managed to earn an officers appointment. Her magic was a huge aid on the battlefield both for fighting the enemy, but also for helping her troops. Granted, by her own admission, most of her magical training had been focused on fighting and how she could use her magic to keep herself alive in a fight, but she had enough training in healing spells that unless the injured were on deaths door, she could probably keep them alive until a doctor or surgeon could be summoned.

While they traveled, both Tempest and Feris were of the opinion that Nolan and his Hunters should act as forward scouts while on the march, and hunt for extra provisions when camped. Both of these activities would allow for Nolan to demonstrate how effective he and his fellow Wolves would be to Captain Shining Star. Nolan, after some thought, didn't see an alternative and agreed. After a few days, Captain Star didn't seem to raise any further concerns, verbal or otherwise aboiut the young wolves and their low numbers.

Nolan tiredly walked into the part of the camp that was given over to the Wolven one night. He had been busy most of the night already talking with Tempest and Star about the next day as they were going to be getting very close to the settelment.

"Is there any food?" Nolan asked Crow Caller, who was out at there fire. Crow Caller simply nodded as he dished up a bowl stew made of fresh vegetables, braised venison and mushrooms. There was also light biscuits, Fravfnir infused with strawberries and dried fruit mixed with nuts for desert.

"War Leader." Crow said as he handed Nolan a plate with the bowl of stew and a few of the biscuits. He also handed a mead horn of Fravfnir to Nolan.

"Thank you." Nolan said as he took the offered dishes and drinking horn. He took a couple of spoonfuls of the stew and bit into a biscuit with a certain ferocity. He had been hungry part way through the meeting. By its end, he was almost ravenous. He tore up a second biscuit and mixed it into the stew as he finished the first one off. Feris walked up to the fire at that point with a hunk of cured venison and a horn of mead.

"Cousin. How are things with the ponies?" Feris asked.

Nolan rolled his eyes and smirked, "They are getting tense, but their morale is high. Shining Star and Tempest are concerned about our readiness, as we don't follow similar military doctrines. It took me this long just to convince them and make them realize that we're as ready as we can be, seeing as none of us here are experienced with war or fighting Griffons. Feris, in thew event we need to shift someone to help with the pony infantry, I want to send Traivor. I think he'd work well over there as phalanx fighting is something the pony infantry train in and practice regularly. Tomorrow, we won't be ranging vary far ahead of the main force, if at all. I want us to remain close to the center, while still being able to provide early warning. We don't know anything really, aside from stories passed down about how Griffons fight. Hell, we don't even know how they think or live. We know nothing about their culture or how their government works.
"If we're going to have more contact with them, be it militarily or through trade and commerce, we need need to know more, and not just about them. Tempest has told me about Dragons, Zebras, and others besides. We may need to be aware of the challenges and threats these others may pose to us in result to us willingly helping the ponies with this current situation." Nolan said at length. Feris for his part nodded in thought. After some time he took a drink from his drinking horn.

"As your second on this expedition, I am with you, War Leader. That being said, everything you've said is prudent. I have heard that there are many peoples out there in the wider world, but they've mostly left our kind alone. Whether it's because we are below their notice, to much of a problem to deal with or because they don't know we exist, I don't know. When we get back home, you and I will have the opportunity to bring your concerns to the Council. They may not listen, but we will have at least done our duty to our people by voicing those concerns and letting them know of these other peoples.
"Nolan. You're my cousin, and my friend. Do you want my opinion and advice?" Feris asked at length.

Nolan nodded, not quite emphatically, but definitely in a way that indicated that he very much wanted to hear what his older cousin had to say.

"If you have a chance to serve with the pony armed forces, take it. Yes, you will likely be taken far from home, and you will miss opportunities to find a wife, but if you manage to serve with them until your term of service ends, then you'll bring a breadth of knowledge about the wider world back to our people. Even if you never make Chief, you'll have the knowledge and will be of great value, even as a War Leader, though I think War Master isn't too far off the mark of your future accomplishments. If you go, I will stay and work to make sure that when you return, you'll have a place of honor amongst our Council. I would make this a Blood Oath if you want."

Nolan and Crow were both taken aback from Feris' offer. For him to make such, he was saying that he was willing to sacrifice himself to uphold his promise. Nolan shook his head an placed his hand on his cousins shoulder and squeezed it in a friendly and reassuring way.

"No. I appreciate and understand your offer, and respect you even more than I already do for such an offer. But, I don't need that kind of commitment. Your word is enough for me." And with that Nolan finished eating and went to bed after the next sentry shift came on duty.

🔆

The next three days were spent going over the basics. Traivor was was drilled almost endlessly, and all of the Wolven were given very basic lessons in the use of swords, with those lessons being taught and lead by Tempest and Nolan, with the latter being pushed to his limits and shown even more advanced training with it and the spear. Nolan got a chance to train with the Equestrian Knights in the use of a lance, which, Nolan could just barely use. It was a bit too long for him and the weight distribution and point of balance made it difficult for him. Nolan would probably need to be mounted on a specially trained beast to make use of the weapon fully, but a number of the skills and techniques translated to the spear well.

Even Captain Star was impressed with how well the Wolven appeared to be learning the different ways of fighting. The Captain even wanted to see how well the wolves would do in hoof to hoof fighting, but there wasn't time before they got to the settlement. Nolan wondered if that would come back to haunt them.

As they crested a hill that overlooked the area that the settlement was located in, the ponies gave out exclamations of despair and shock, anger and awe. The Griffons had come in a large ship, and kept it out of range of the limited coastal defenses. The Griffons had more than likely gone to the air and swept in on the pony defenders in stunning and brutal attacks. Part of the settlement had or was still burning as made evidence by the plume of smoke rising into the air.

"That ship is going to be a bastard to deal with." Feris said to Nolan as they looked over everything.

"No kidding. How many do you think they had packed in there? That ship's huge!" Traivor asked with trepidation.

"Good question. Tempest? Captain Star?" Nolan asked looking at the two more experienced pony officers.

"Rough guess? I'd say around fifty to one hundred as actual shock troops and shore party. Maybe another twenty five to thirty, forty on the outside as crew for that ship. Captain?" Tempest asked as he gave his estimate.

"I think it's likely that we're looking at seventy five or eighty to one hundred and twenty five to one hundred and thirty five for actual attackers. As for crew, I'd agree with it being no more than forty. The ship isn't flying any Griffon Chief's flag or one from any of their kingdoms, so I would guess that they're a privateer. If we're lucky, it's an entire mercenary or brigand group. In the face of organized and disciplined real soldiers and Knights, they'll fold like bad parchment. That still leaves the ship itself. I'd wager a years pay that they have heavy ballistas and bolt throwers as its weapon emplacements. Not to mention any of the crew using crossbows and the like. Attacking it from the air would be suicidal at worst, dicey at best. The settlement hadn't been able to get heavy coastal defenses brought in yet, as they had just gotten finished with the preparatory work for that kind of upgrade, so they weren't able to attack the ship as it came in. They didn't have a lot of Unicorns here and very few Pegasi warriors to try to fight the invasion off. We're looking at an up hill battle, but if we can rally the ponies still inside, we'll have enough bodies to force the Griffons back to their ship. I still recommend that we call for reinforcements. Two more full strength platoons from the Seventh could be here in much less time than it took us, and I know that there's at least two or three Ranger teams in the area. The Princesses could have the Rangers here in a day or two, with the reinforcements from the Seventh here in another two or three." The Captain said as she appraised the situation.

"Rangers? What are they?" Nolan asked.

"They're kind of a special operations group. They are allowed recruit from out side the Equestrian military and citizenry. They train in infiltration, espionage, sabotage, information gathering, and unconventional warfare and tactics. It's rumored that they also practice assassination, bribery and other less than savory tactics. The Ranger Commander holds and equivalent rank to a General in times of war, or Colonel in peace time and answers to the Princesses or their appointed representative only. Likewise, the Rangers only answer to their own chain of command, unless temporarily assigned to a different force. If the teams in the area are combat and infiltration teams, then they could be a huge asset. If they're a bribery group, they could still help by bribing the Griffons and making them leave without anymore risk to loss of life. Otherwise, they wouldn't be as much help as we would like." Tempest said as an explanation as he thought about his options.

"Captain, send a message to the Princesses. Apprise them of our current situation. Request any combat units in the area to be sent to our aid, as well as reinforcements from the Seventh as well as a detachment of siege Unicorns and some siege class catapults and trebuchets as well. To sell all of that, be sure to mention the ship in the harbor, its size and distance from shore, and the estimated numbers and quality of the enemy troops. I just hope we can get some reinforcements, but even still, it'll be a hard fight even with the extra troops." Tempest stated as he took one last look.

Nolan and Feris had been talking quietly in Wolven to each other while Tempest gave his outline for the letter to the Princesses. They finished as Tempest did.

"We have a plan. Crow Caller got his name because he's able to to call crows to him and use them to carry messages. Feris and I believe that we and Crow can slip inside posing as traders and merchants. If the Griffons are here to loot and plunder, they'd be chomping at the bit to get in a few traders to increase the size of their loot holdings. To sell the disguise, we would need a day to make some basic field and handcrafts. We have many gems between us, but we're going to need bits to make it look believable. How much could you reasonably give us?" Nolan asked as he laid out his plan. Tempest grinned, then laughed with a grim pleasure.

"Pup, I can probably get you around about a thousand bits, just from the other Knights. Probably close to double that if we take up a collection from the Army troops. I can even get you a few of our lances, which the Griffons would definitely buy. I'll throw in some extra swords we have, and if you Wolven put in some pelts, meat a bit of your Fravfnir, you'll make lots of friends with the Griffons." Tempest said with a chuckle.

Preparations were made, and by the time Nolan, Feris and Crow Caller left, they had just about all the gemstones in the group, almost three thousand bits in a steel bound lock box, a large number of pelts, a couple hundred pounds of cured meat and a number of pounds in Wolven craft work, a few spears, swords and lances. All said, they looked like fairly prosperous traders. Each wolf had to pull a travois and wear a heavily laden back pack, but if everything worked out well, they wouldn't need to keep all of that with them the entire time.

With both Nolan and Feris leaving the main force, Nolan had to decide who would take over while he and Feris were gone. There really was only one choice. Sven would lead in Nolan and Feris' absence, and was really the most level headed one, and therefor the best one of the lot remaining. He gave a few parting instructions to Sven, and he and his group went along another road that would take them far out to the West before circling back to the main road that lead to the settlement so that they looked like road weary traders. This would work. Right?

Author's Note

Well, here it is, chapter six done and published. We've reached the halfway part of this story, which I'm hoping will be part of at least a trilogy. The updates might be a little slower at this point as I need to work on the second story in the trilogy and I'm going to try my hand at a contest here on FiMFiction I saw that's peaked my interest.

Likes, questions and comments are always welcomed.

Sneaking in and making plans

It took a few days, but once they arrived, Nolan and Feris knew that something wasn't right. Even Crow gave them side glances. The gate leading into the settlement had four Griffons stationed on its battlements. Outside and in front of the gate were another ten lead by a lieutenant. After a lengthy interview by the Griffon officer and a very intense, yet cursory glance, they were allowed inside. The three wolves made their way to the settlements tavern and were able to secure lodging. They made their way from the tavern to the merchants quarter. Once registered, they set up a small kiosk.

They brought in a great deal of food, medicine and basic care items that they "sold" to the ponies at much reduced prices. They spent that day selling and trading. Feris, who was a master of conversation and innuendo, did a great job of lowering the ponies anxiety and stress. Feris was also able to subtly let the townsponies know that things were going to change soon, and that they had to be ready for it. Back at the tavern, Feris taking poetic license with Nolan's First Hunt, reworked and retold the tale in such a way that Pony and Griffon alike was put at ease, as everycreature loves a story of a heroic figure fighting and slaying a monster.

As the story ended, with the hero being granted a knighthood by the beautiful princess, the Griffons paid their tabs and made their way outside. The ponies stayed, and in quiet and hushed tones, Feris and Nolan explained who they were and why they were here. The ponies were relieved to know that the Princesses knew of their plight and were sending soldiers to help them. The wolves also learned that there was a small mercenary company present, bu the vast majority of the Griffon occupation force were regular army soldiers.

The next day Nolan stayed at the kiosk while Feris and Crow explored and just got a feel for the lay out of the settlement. Crow returned hours later and in Wolven explained to Nolan just how many soldiers were actually there. The report almost made Nolan swear. There were more than 100 mercenaries and closer to 200 or more Griffon Army troops. This was starting to look like more of an invasion force than a raiding party. Crow and Nolan spent the rest of the time that day at the kiosk talking in hushed tones and in Wolven about their options.

Feris rejoined them as they were closing up. Back at the tavern, Feris and Nolan told a tale of Fenris to the joy of most those in attendance that night. Alone in the room the three shared, the full details of the military occupation forces in the settlement.

"The Griffons have 150 mercenaries and close to double that in actual army troops. Crow has sent a message to Tempest alluding to that final count. Even with an accurate count, Tempest doesn't have the forces as far as we know, to properly take the settlement back, even with the townsponies helping. If we could weaken the numbers and open a gate or blow a hole in the wall, it would make it more likely for Tempest to retake the settlement. If we move quickly tomorrow night, we could take out one of the gates guards and the shift of sentries that are on guard outside the gate house." Feris said as he laid out a few items to outline his thoughts on taking the gate.

"Okay, but that still leaves us with close to 400 soldiers. Now, I have no problem taking a gatehouse and holding it against the Griffons. Unless they have some siege equipment, we could possibly hold them off for days, probably weeks. But we don't have the numbers inside the settlement or the supplies to make that work." Nolan pointed out.

"Indeed. I have a plan for that. We could hold a feast for the Griffons. If we spend the day hunting, we could bring back enough meat to feed all of them. As we cook it, we lace it with Wolfs Bane and Nightshade. Maybe not enough to outright kill them, but definitely make them sick. Fenris willing, they'll even be hallucinating, which is in our favor as well. I know that we'll find those plants in the area. On our way in I saw Oleander flowers. One of the pony merchants is an herbalist by trade, has White Snake root. With all of that, we could poison the meals. The Griffons would be extremely sick and hallucinating at worst, dying at best." Crow Caller said as he laid out his plan.

Nolan lowered his head in thought. Without knowing how many troops Tempest had gotten as reinforcements, Nolan could only guess. Poisoning enemies was an underhanded tactic. But even Fenris had had to face large numbers of opponents with little to no help and had to do some dishonorable things to prevail. In Nolan's mind, the similarities could be easily seen, and given the total numbers, Nolan couldn't be judged too harshly by his people. The pony's were another matter. But they had asked for the wolves help. Complaining about it after the fact and without ever giving guidance was pointless, and more to the point, petty.

"We hunt and we gather the plants needed. We will offer a feast to the Griffons of poisoned meat. These are my orders as War Leader. When we leave the following morning we will tell all the Griffons we see of our plans to give them a grand feast, playing into the fact that they think that they will be able to keep the settlement. We will say that the feast is to create a good relationship between out peoples. We'll attempt to affect as many of the Griffons as possible. The ship and the gate will most likely fall outside the scope of this plan, but the plan will still help with the gate. I also wouldn't be surprised if many of the army troops don't partake. We need to see if the pony's have access to fireworks. If they do, we can have them fire a few volleys in salute, then target the ship and the main Griffon encampment in the port. If they can do that from several angles, responses will be limited and confused. The risk to them, while not zero, will be much reduced. If timed properly the fireworks will distract the gatehouse guards enough that we can sneak in and kill them, then signal Tempest and his troops and our fellow Hunters to move up and take the gatehouse. Once they have a way in, they can work on retaking the settlement." Nolan said, as he laid out his plan using elements of his companions plans.

"Bold. Very bold. I like it. It reminds me of the story where Loki and Fenris had to outwit Silvaris, the Ice dragoness." Feris said with a smile and nod.

"But is it too bold? And more importantly, will it work? This would probably work if all we had to deal with were the mercenaries. But they are lead and supported main line army troops. I doubt their commander is going to be so easy to fool." Crow posited. Nolan grimaced as he nodded his understanding.

"You make good points, but unless we have any other ideas that would allow for us to gain an advantage over the Griffons, I don't see us having better odds. The three of us, once the food is distributed, have to take the gatehouse. That's at least fourteen of them, and as many as twenty eight if we do it before a shift change. We would be horribly outnumbered. If they were mercenary troops, I think we could handle it. But the Griffons at the gate will most likely be army troops. If we get the first shift packed up and are in control of the gate when the second shift arrives, we would be able to hold them off until the pony force arrives. Feris, you'll be staying behind tomorrow to set things up with the pony's and get that White Snake root. You'll also need to spread the announcement of the feast to as many of the Griffons as you can. Crow and I will go and get as much wild game as we can get as well as the other plants. Feris, see if you can get some corn as well. I've been told that Griffons go wild for the stuff. If we can sweeten the pot with corn, they might just eat more of it and be far more affected by the poison. Whatever you do though, don't oversell it. If they get suspicious of it, we'll have more trouble than we know what to do with." Nolan cautioned as they went to bed.

✴

The following morning, Feris woke up before the others and left a note telling them that with all he had to do that day in preparation, he wanted an early start. He left and made appropriate inquires as to where he could buy enough corn and in what ways Griffons enjoyed it most. On the cob or off, as long as they were covered in copious amounts of butter seemed to be the most popular. Feris couldn't help but wonder at that. It seemed as if Griffons, Wolves and Pony's all enjoyed corn the same way, though of the three, only Griffons seemed to be obsessed with it. From what Feris could gather, in times where hunting and fishing were poor, and raiding and piracy weren't able to bring in enough food, Griffons could subside on corn and other such crops alone, though they had to lay large amounts in store every year to ensure that there was enough to go around. To put it mildly, Griffons, by and large, were terrible farmers, and their kingdoms didn't really have the right soil or enough of it for a lot of sustainable farming. Because of how mountainous their lands were, they couldn't rely on hunting like the Wolven did, and changes in the ocean could affect fishing greatly. Corn, barley, oats, beans and wheat were about the only crops the Griffons could reliably grow throughout their lands. In the southern most section they could also grow rice and potatoes.

The Griffon kings would trade the limited crops with each other at very low prices as they all knew that those plants would keep their people alive in hard times. This was also the reason why many Griffons went into the military, joined mercenary companies or pirate and raider gangs. As a soldier, a Griffon was guaranteed food, and aside from what the nobility got, it was some of the best food to be had so as to not be a burden for their families. As a mercenary, raider or pirate, a Griffon was able to get out of the Griffon kingdoms and find ample food that way, so any food that would have gone to such Griffons would be able to be given to others. Most of the mercenary and pirate groups had foraging rights outlined in their contracts of employment. The Griffon lands were considered to be a bit depressing due to the hard terrain they occupied.

As Feris made his musings, he was able to secure all the corn he would need, as well as plenty of butter and a good supply of White Snake root. He was also able to get a few long tables and the like, some big cooking cauldrons for the corn, and a cooking and serving area only a few blocks from the main gate. While Feris doubted that they would be able to get any of the army troops to come, he hoped Fenrir would smile upon them and have a few show up.

Nolan and Crow Caller, having gotten up a bit later than Feris, found and read his not to them. They weren't concerned as Feris had a great deal to do by himself. They packed lightly and went out hunting. As they passed through the gate, they mentioned how they were going to be hosting a feast for the Griffons in the hopes of strengthening relations between the Wolven and Griffon poeples. They mentioned they were hunting for deer and boar.

The birds didn't seem to care, just so long as they were back before the gates closed for the night. Nolan hunted while Crow gathered the plants they needed. They spent all of the morning and well into the afternoon gathering what they needed. Nolan managed to get four large bucks and a very, very large boar. Between the five, there was something like 800 to 1000 pounds of cookable meat. Combined with the corn that they hopped Feris had been able to procure, it should feed all of the mercenaries to the bursting point, and hopefully a few of the army troops as well. They returned and were let back in, and soon found where they were to set about their work.

There were a number of Griffons who were already getting all the tables, chairs, plates and cutlery set up, as well as cooking the corn. They also brought with them some fish. While this was unexpected, it would help provide one more layer of coverand chaos. Nolan and Crow started to cook the deer and boar, slow roasting the meat with a steady infusion of the poisonous plants. None of the Griffons seemed to notice, and even if they did, it looked as if they weren't well versed in the dangerous plants of the lands they were in.

All of the cooking and meal preparations took the rest of the afternoon, and as the sun was setting the plan was ready to begin.

"Where in Fenris' codpiece is Feris?" Crow asked Nolan, concern and exasperation in his voice.

"I'm not sure. And that worries me. I know that you and I can take out the current guard detail at the gate, but to hold it until the pony forces arrive, we need Feris." Nolan said as he looked around, and smiled reassuringly to some of the Griffons.

"Until we know otherwise, we keep to the plan and hope that he catches up. Otherwise, we improvise as much as we have to."

They split up and made sure to mingle with the Griffons as much as possible, and helped the Griffons to get more food and drink. The mercenaries were completely stuffed, and they had managed to even feed the fifty army troops that had walked in. The fireworks display launched off, and there was still no sign of Feris. Crow Caller looked at Nolan and they both knew they were out of time to wait for him. They slipped out and made their way to gatehouse, hoping that Feris would meet them there.

Author's Note

So, I know that I had mentioned in my last blog post that I was going to get this chapter out yesterday. Sadly I had a family issue crop up, so I wasn't able to get it out today. I managed to have a few hours and I busted my butt to get it out at the end of the day today. I hope you enjoy this chapter. We'll soon be getting to a bit of action, which I think you'll all like.