After taking care of the wounded and sending them back home, Wiglaf carried a bucket of water over to his mother as she stitched up a wound on Arminius's head. "You alright, dad?"

"I'll live. Ouch! Assuming your mother doesn't finish the job," Arminius smirked as Sigrid finished the last stitch.

"Keep whinging like that, and maybe I will." She kisses his stitch and starts cleaning the wound.

"Not dead yet, are ya?" Wulfric asked while walking up to them.

"Not yet. Odin still has a use for me down here," They all laughed.

"Why didn't we leave with the others lord?" A soldier asked as the sun began to set.

"There are still many unaccounted for and could be either lost or dying in these swamps plus there could be stragglers lurking about. We'll do one more sweep in the morning but for now we rest." Wulfric said before noticing a mist rolling through the forest.

"Hmm...Arminius, set a watch around the camp."

"You expecting company?" Double Edge asked after noticing Wulfric was keeping an eye on the swamps.

"Call it a gut feeling."

As night fell on the swamp, Wulfric once more resumed his watch by the campfire. The feeling he had earlier did not fade as he gripped the heft of his axe as if expecting an attack before the sound of footsteps gave him a jolt.

When he turned to face whoever was approaching, he was relieved to see Double Edge who had decided to join him on his watch.

"You seem nervous friend, something on your mind?"

"In my homeland, the mist is a bad omen said to carry evils within."

"Silly superstition to keep the children from wandering out at night." Wulfric and Double Edge turned to see Arminius walk up to them. "No need to frighten the boy with tales of spirits and monsters."

"Legends ring with a hint of truth Arminius, do not dismiss them so casually." Wulfric argued before tossing another log on the fire.

"The women and children leave through the last portal?"

"Aye. Though our ladies have stayed, and my boy wants to keep watch whenever you get tired." Arminius chuckled.

"Hmm he's brave like you. Maybe one day I'll be blessed with one of my own." Wulfric smiled at the thought of being a father as the clouds gave way to the moon and stars.

"Well if there are any monsters out there, they'll have a hard time sneaking up on us now." Double Edge joked as they laid around the campfire with the other soldiers yet as they slept a figure stalked them from the darkness, it's form shrouded by the dense brush and mist as it looked upon the unsuspecting soldiers like a predator stalking prey.

When the fire died out and the air grew still, Double Edge heard the feint snap of a twig and slowly began to rise up before suddenly being jerked down by Arminius.

"What-"

"Shhh. Look." Arminius said quietly as he pointed to several figures moving through the mist.

As Double Edge quietly reached for his swords, he saw that Wulfric and the others had been awake for some time and were only pretending to sleep with some adding a bit of snoring in hopes of luring the enemy closer.

"When they come, we form a circle. Backs to one another." Wulfric whispered as the shadows drew closer.

"What are they?" Double Edge asked while keeping an eye towards the shadows.

"Something from a forgotten age..."

Just as the air grew still, and the crickets ceased their chirping, a wild roar went off from the tree line before creatures with the skulls of bears atop their heads came charging forward with crude weapons and mounted bear claws.

"NOW!" Wulfric shouted as they sprang to their feet and began attacking the mysterious assailants. Double Edge was shocked at what they were fighting, the figures screamed an otherworldy scream as they lashed out from the mists with the troops desperately trying to hold them back.

"Double Edge! Look out!!" Arminius screamed just as one leaped at Double Edge from behind and cut him across the face with a clawed hand.

"AGH!! why you!" The unicorn seethed with rage as he stabbed his attacker in the throat with both swords.

In a nearby tree, Wiglaf was sniping as many targets as he could see but the swift movements of the enemy combined with the mists made it impossible to land every shot.

"Where's dad?" He looked on with worry, unaware that one of the monsters had discovered his hiding place. As the mist began to fade, the creatures fled back into the forest, their attack was repelled and victory seemed to be in favor of the allies.

"What were those things?" Double Edge asked before feeling the sting of his cut.

"My lords...could the legends be true?" Surt asked the chieftains.

"Well figure this out later. Did we lose anyone?" Wulfric asked as some of the unicorns used their horns to illumiate the area.

"Pike is here..." One called out.

"His head?" Arminius inquired.

"...No."

"They take the heads, just like in the stories."

"Dirk is here...it's the same." A caribou soldier called out after finding another body.

"I see none of them."

"What?"

"None of Them! none of the ones we killed..."

"Nor do I."

The whole group gave the battlefield a quick glance and saw their comrades were right.

"Not ONE."

"I took at least two that could not have lived." Wulfric said after checking the area where he was fighting.

"As did I. We all did." Arminius spoke. "Even my boy took some down." He looked around for Wiglaf, but found no sign of him. "Wiglaf. Wiglaf! My son! We don't have time for games!"

"Must still be in the tree keeping a lookout." Wulfric shook his head and went to the tree to where Wiglaf was hiding.

"Wiglaf, come down from there! The fighting's over." He called out but received no answer.

"Wiglaf?" He called out again but was met with silence.

"Something's wrong...search the place!" Double Edge ordered as they fanned out and began searching for the boy.

As the group combed the battlefield, they kept calling out for Wiglaf.

"Wiglaf!" Arminius shouted before stepping on what felt like a twig. When he looked down, he was horrified to find what it was. "No. No, no, no, no!"

"Arminius what is it?" Wulfric asked just as his friend held up Wiglafs shattered bow.

"They took him...they took my boy!!" The chieftain yelled in a mix of anger and heartbreak before they found a clawed footprint pressed into the dirt.

"So they have returned...." A soldier said in a foreboding tone.

"These creatures? What are they?" Double Edge asked but his northern friends seemed reluctant to answer.

"It is said, they eat the dead." One finally replied.

"What kind of being could do that?"

"Only one our people know of from legend...they are called The Wendol."

"SHH!!" Surt demanded the soldier not say anything further when Wulfric found a totem of what looked like a pregnant female with only her limbs and head missing.

"What is that?"

"The Mother of The Wendol...."

"Damn her to Hel!" Arminius roared before slapping the totem at Double Edge's feet.

Upon their return, the surviving soldiers met with their families and told their superiors of what transpired but the worst was to come when Sigrid and Hilda saw how distraught their husband was.

"Arminius what is it?" Sigrid asked in confusion as he showed them the shattered bow.

"I'm sorry my loves..." He said as a dark realization crept into their minds.

"Where's Wiglaf? W-where is our boy?"

"They took him..." Arminius struggled to get the words out as Sigrid began to break down in tears.

"No...No! Not my Wiglaf!!" She sobbed as she was held by her family.

"Wulfric what were those creatures?" Double Edge asked but was met with the same reluctance from before until Wulfric let out a deep sigh.

"Follow me, all of you." He gestured to Twilight and the others as they went inside the palace. They met in the palace guest living room where a fire had been lit and for a few brief moments, Wulfric stared into the flames before turning to his friends.

"I trust you all know what happened?"

"The soldiers told us everything, even Double Edge here showed us proof." Shining Armor referred to the claw marks on Doubles face.

"Wulfric, who or what are they?"

"....Long ago, there were these creatures that preyed upon our people." He began his tale, reciting everything he knew by heart.

"They were neither caribou, nor beast but something horrifying. They came in the mist, in the darkness of night as if they could see through it clear as day and when they attacked, no one was spared. Men were torn apart and fed upon by their bare hands, women and children butchered like animals before they too were feasted upon and any village they found was burnt to the ground leaving nothing but death and ash."

The fireplace popped, startling Pinkie Pie as she clinged to Applejack.

"But like all things, the land began to change, the mists were few and far between, the night gave way to the moon and stars and then the hunters became the hunted." Wulfric said while turning back to the fireplace.

"Our people hunted them across the north and did to them what they did to us, their stone weapons were no match for our steel. Guided by the will of the Allfather we hunted down every last one of them....or so we thought." His head hung low as he turned to his friends once more.

"They are The Wendol; The Eaters of The Dead."

"And they took Wiglaf..." Arminius began to grip his goblet to the point where it was slowly being crushed in his hands.

"We'll get him back, Ryu is personally following their trail as we speak but now all we can do is wait."

Hours went by with no word from Ryu as the friends tried to go about their routines with Double Edge being treated by Cherry Blossom as she inspected the cuts along his face.

"You're lucky, the cuts didn't go too deep." She said while turning his head slowly.

"Ow! careful they still sting." Double protested before she took a mortar bowl with a strange paste in it.

"What's that for?"

"To stop the puss from running, otherwise you'll get a fever." She said while taking a popsicle stick to spread it on his wounds.

"This will sting."

The moment the ointment was applied, Double Edge could swear the same claws that struck him were digging right back into his flesh as he did his best to stay still while some of the soldiers laughed at his expense.

"Glad to see they're in good spirits." Shining said when a guard suddenly came rushing in with all haste.

"My lord, messenger from Dainn Stonehoof at the gates. He demands that he sees you, Lord Wulfric and Lord Arminius as well."

"Does this messenger have a name?" Shining asked out of curiosity.

"Yes sire, he calls himself Flavus."

Palace Gates

The air grew heavy as the citizens stared at the tainted banner of the stonehooves being held by a former royal guard while escorting one who many considered to be the kings lackey.

When the gates opened, Shining Armor marched out with Wulfric and Arminius as well as Twilight and the others.

"Brother, how good to see you again." Flavus feigned a gentle smile but Arminius turned and scoffed in disgust at the very mention of being the traitors brother.

"Speak your piece lapdog and be quick." Wulfric demanded with his arms crossed as he stared him down.

"What's the matter? Have a bad winter?" Flavus chuckled before he was socked across the jaw by Arminius.

"I should've drowned you when you were a scrawny little shit!" Arminius roared before he was restrained by Wulfric and Shining. "Where is my son!?"

"Oh yes...the little turd who gave me this." Flavus chuckled while gesturing to the cut on his cheek.

"I think our new friends are taking good care of him but we will get to that later."

The lackey then cleared his throat and he unrolled the scroll and read loud enough for all who were gathered.

"By royal decree, Prince Vortigern Stonehoof son of King Dainn hereby challenges Wulfric Warborn of The Warborn Clan to single combat in a duel to the death."

"What?!?" Applejack protested as they were all taken aback by the challenge.

"No flippin way!" Dash agreed with her partner when Wulfric raised his hand for them to be silenced.

"And what if I refuse this challenge?" Wulfric asked.

Flavus smirked before rolling up the scroll. "Then the Wendol will have the little turd for a snack."

"You Illr argr-BACRAUT!!!" Arminius lunged at his brother, axe ready to chop him to pieces before he was held back by the guards.

"IF YOU SO MUCH AS HARM A HAIR ON HIS HEAD I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU!!"

"Arminius." Wulfric called out to his friend and looked him sternly in the eye before turning back to Flavus.

"Tell prince Vortigern I accept and tonight, I will drink to his bones."

"I'll be sure to tell him." Flavus got up to leave, but not before saying goodbye to Arminius. "Till next time, brother."

"Pray I never see you again," Arminius threatened his treacherous kin.

Later

"You're really gonna go through with this?" Applejack questioned her lover as he carefully sharpened his axe.

"You do know this is a setup, that varmint's more sneaky than a fox in a hen house."

"Even so, I won't back down especially when one of my kin is held hostage." Wulfric replied as he gave the blade one last stroke of the whetstone.

"And my blade has been thirsting for that scums tainted blood."

"But there's no guarantee they'll hand over Wiglaf even if you win!" Twilight argued as Wulfric went to his armor rack to make some adjustments.

"There's got to be another way." Dash said before she grabbed his helmet.

"We're not letting you do this!"

"I didn't ask for your permission." Wulfric said as he took the helmet from her.

"Well I'm not happy about it!" Dash spat back as she took the helmet again.

"Well I don't see another way!" Wulfric argued as they began a tug of war over the helmet.

"We're just gonna have to FIND one then!"

"Well let me know if you DO!"

"Should we stop them?" Twilight asked Thora as the two of them continued to argue.

"No no, let them work this out." Thora said as their tussle got a little more heated with Rainbow using her wings to keep the helmet just out of Wulfrics reach.

"Now that's cheating!" Wulfric protested as she blew him a raspberry.

"Raargh!" Outside they could hear Arminius smashing practice dummies and small trees in his rage, stopping the fight between Dash and Wulfric.

"Another..." He huffed as the last practice dummy was hauled away in splinters.

"Sir maybe you should rest." A soldier suggested before Arminius glared at him like he was gonna murder him.

"ANOTHER DAMMIT!!"

Another dummy was brought out, this one resembling Flavus. Arminius foamed at the mouth before charging the dummy, impaling it with his antlers and launching it over the walls.

"He's been at this for the past hour." Double Edge said before a plume of green flames caught everyone's attention and saw Ryu had returned from his scouting mission.

"Forgive my tardiness friends but I had to make sure I wasn't followed." He said while dusting himself off.

"Did you find them?" Sigrid asked with worry.

"Yes."

All sighed with relief upon hearing the news save for Arminius who was still fuming at the loss of his son.

"And I already know about the duel and I believe it can work in our favor. If Wulfric keeps Vortigern busy long enough-"

"We can send a group to get Wiglaf out!" Twilight was able to guess the plan with ease as she squealed in excitement.

"It's not that easy." Wulfric said after finally getting his helmet back and placed it on the armor rack.

"This is an enemy our people haven't seen in over a hundred years, we don't know what we'll be up against."

"Well...there may be someone who can help." Sigrid said but looked a bit unsure of herself as she explained.

"She's been our clans advisor since my grandmothers time but I should warn you she's um...quite mad."

"Aw I bet I can turn that frown upside down!" Pinkie said while making a balloon animal.

"Not that kind of mad Pinkie, she means she's um...how do I put this?"

"She's a crone." Wulfric said, making his pony friends gasp.

"Now sugarcube that's just rude!"

"Crones are similar to our elders, they've seen much in their time but like Sigrid said they are known to be a little...insane."

"The perfect advisor..." Arminius sighed as they followed Sigrid to a tent just outside the city walls surrounded by a few guards. Once inside, they saw a withered old doe in rags huddled by a fire who seemed pleased by her visitors.

"Sigrid-Gasp! tut tut tut shame shame shame, it's a LADY Sigrid who confronts me now does she not?" The crone giggled to herself as Sigrid stepped forward.

"We seek your counsel madam."

"We? or he?" The crone looks at Arminius.

"Come closer Arminius." She beckoned as Arminius stepped into the light of her fire.

"Closer."

"You know me?" Arminius asked, surprised by the old womans knowledge of him as she snickered.

"I have ears. "Chieftain" Says the wind, "Warrior" says the rain but why seek you, me? Met you your match?" She asks aloud before grinning.

"Met you your match...with The Eaters of The Dead."

“Hmph, it deters me none,” Wulfric said.

“But…what is this?” Sigrid perked up. “I…I see another. But it is strange…”

"What do you mean?" Sigrid asked.

"To hazy to tell. But never mind that. You seek to find the Eaters of the dead." The old crone croaked out.

"We do. They have my son hostage," Arminius begged.

"Do you have a token? A thing. A thing of theirs." The crone held out her hand.

"Double Edge, the totem." Arminius gestured for his friend to give him the totem before handing it to the crone.

"Ah...they will show you the way, you will not see...slaughter them til you rot, it will accomplish nothing."

"Then what do we do?"

"This is the mother of the Wendol...she they revere, find the root, strike the will and your son will be saved."

"Where do we find them?" Wulfric asked as she began to drift off to sleep by the fire.

"They are in the earth, seek them in the earth."

As they left the tent, the group became more confused than before.

"The old lady speaks in riddles, I don't like it." Wulfric said, not trusting the word of the crone.

"Seek them in the earth." Twilight pondered the crones words when two of Wulfrics guards came to fetch him.

"My lord, it's time."

"Hmmm...Arminius, take our friends and a few guards with you and follow Ryu's trail. I'll keep Vortigern busy."

Without hesitating, the two friends gripped each others forearms in a firm handshake to strengthen their resolve as they prepared to depart.

"Get our boy back."

“I GOT IT!” Twilight suddenly yelled, startling everyone.

"What did you get, Twilight?" Sigrid asked.

“The Diamond Dog mines in Mt. Appleoosa! It’s known to the largest mine in all of Equestria and is the pride and joy of the Diamond Dogs!”

"Okay but what have to do with Wiglaf?" Hilda asked before Twilight rushed to get a map.

"Ryu show me where you picked up their trail."

Ryu nodded and pointed in the map.

“To the southeast,” Ryu said. “Reports indicate a large bog area with swamps and dead trees.”

"Also, one of our men found this." He then showed them a club made with bear skin and claws that seemed to make Double Edge's face sting with pain again.

"So this is what almost took my face off."

"We have our duties. May fortune smile on us and Rainbow?" Wulfric smirked to his mare.

"Yeah?"

"Come here~!"

Smooch!

"Aww!" Pinkie cooed at the display of affection as they broke the kiss.

"Mmm what was that for?" Rainbow purred.

"For lighting a fire in me but we'll continue later...just get back safe."

"Same to you big boy." Applejack smirked before giving him a kiss of her own.

Deep in the swamps, Arminius' group found themselves before a string of scarecrows lined up as far as the eye could see.

"From here, we could follow their trail easily. I suspect these were placed here as a warning." Ryu said as he pointed out a series of tracks leading past the scarecrows.

"I don't think they like visitors." Rainbow said when Double Edge remembered the crones words and began to piece everything together.

"The claws...the headdresses...bears." He said to himself as the answer came to him.

"They think they are bears...they want us to think they are bears! Arminius how do you hunt a bear in your land?"

"We chase it down but why does-"

"No, how do you hunt a bear in winter?"

"Go in its cave...with spears." Arminius smirked when he caught on to what his friend was thinking.

"And where is a cave?"

"In the earth." Applejack said in realization when one of the scouts from their party returned.

"The next glen, many fires."

"Is there a cave!?"

End.

Author's Note

in case anyone was wondering what Arminius was saying to his brother.