In Evinwiir, the seat of power in Whitetail, the tranquility of the empty senate chamber was gradually giving way to tired chatter. In the dead of night a group of stags trickled into its expansive interior in ones and twos, clad in green and white robes, many of them yawning or shaking their heads to wake themselves up. A senate meeting at such a late hour was unheard of, a fact that many would have protested had they the strength to do so.

The senators conversed with one another quietly and sipped at cups of hot pine needle tea to warm themselves against the cold night, speculating as to why they had been called upon. They spoke in hushed voices and whispers, yet only a few among them knew the truth of the matter: those who had been near Chancellor Vinawyll during his secretive meeting with the leader of the Cervidaen Hegemony, and they were not saying a word until the time was right.

In a small side room, the chancellor waited nervously. His talks with the haughty redtail leader had been an exercise in frustration and patience at times, but progress had been made in the end. Empress Elinwynn was a shrewd negotiator, just like her brother. Together they represented a force of will the likes of which he'd never seen, and it had taken all of his experience and skill to keep them from trampling on his proposals.

Now he just had to keep the senators from calling for his head. If his prior dealings were any indication, it would be an uphill struggle.

Soon, all nineteen officials had gathered and taken their seats. Many of them looked decidedly annoyed to be called upon so late into the night. Deciding it best to address them before they became unruly, Vinawyll stepped into the main hall. The senators rose out of respect -- be it forced or genuine.

"Please, be seated," the chancellor said. An aide stepped up to him and passed a cup of pine tea, then left with a bow. "Thank you all for coming. I realize that calling upon you at such an hour is unusual, perhaps even unprofessional, but I could not find it within myself to wait until the morrow."

"I hope this is important, Vinawyll," Senator Vaxilis said, getting words of agreement from several others. "I do not take kindly to being roused from my slumber for matters of politics."

"Your job is a matter of politics, Senator," Vinawyll retorted. "You would do well to remember that." He took a sip of his tea as the ill-tempered stag voiced his colorful objections. A bit too tart. I'll have to add a spoonful of honey next time.. "If you're quite done?" he said as the ranting died down. "Let me reassure all of you that I have not taken this action lightly. In fact, there are many things I have been a part of recently that I have lost sleep to. This war -- the very one we have been losing for months -- is one of them. We've had naught but reports of defeat for as long as I can remember, and it seems we suffer a great catastrophe every other week. The fires still burn deep within the smoking crater of what used to be the financial district, a reminder of the brutality of the Equestrians." The room was quiet once more. "I have gathered you here because I have finally found our solution to our problems, a way to end this war that will not result in Whitetail being relegated to a footnote in the history scrolls. If you'll join me in standing once more?" The others stood up with scattered, annoyed mumbles. "My friends, allow me to introduce the sovereign of the Cervidaen Hegemony, the leader of our redtail cousins, and our salvation from the threat of destruction: Empress Elinwynn."

Confusion and annoyance gave way to shock and barely contained outrage from some, relief and praise from others. The harshly divided senators soon turned on each other, hurling insults even as Elinwynn gracefully trotted to Vinawyll's side. She stood unwavering, her true reaction hidden behind a practiced smile as the chancellor called for order.

"It is no wonder you've failed so miserably," she said at last. The senators stopped and looked her way. "I came here expecting to speak with the stags in charge of our oft-maligned neighboring state, and what do I find? A petty rabble that is no more in control of itself than a herd of aimless children. This is the great senate Chancellor Vinawyll has spoken of? I dare say he's been far too generous in his assessments."

Senator Alyys pointed an accusatory hoof. "How dare you come to our halls and--"

"You will show the empress respect, Senator, while she is a guest of Whitetail," Vinawyll demanded. "Do you understand? My apologies, Empress. Please, continue."

Elinwynn did not break eye contact with the defiant senator. "You. What is your name?"

"Alyys. Senator Alyys, Empress." He spat out Elinwynn's title as if its very taste were poison.

"Senator Alyys." A wry smile formed. "I like you, Senator Alyys. There is a fire within you. I would ask that you do not dismiss me so quickly, for you may find we share a common passion for our respective homelands." She paused to allow her words to sink in. "Senators of Whitetail, allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Empress Elinwynn of Cervidae, keeper of redtail traditions and sovereign by heritage." She bowed deeply with a foreleg over her chest, her antler trinkets swaying. "For nine generations my family has held the throne. From the first empress, Aereleth, to my mother, the beloved Melanynn, we have sought to serve the citizens of the proud and mighty Cervidaen Hegemony to the fullest extent of our abilities. Over the centuries we built Cervidae into a nation we could be proud of, one that welcomes all within its borders.

But sadly, there is a black mark on our history that we cannot erase. A great injustice the likes of which has defined who we are not only as a nation, but as a people -- and, in turn, what you yourselves identify as. I speak, of course, of the Great Divide, the civil war that split our proud species in twain." A map was produced from a satchel at her side, showing the old borders of the Ochrourus Collective, as it used to be known. "Many generations ago our peoples lived in harmony. Redtail and whitetail, distinct but united. For a time we were the most prosperous, advanced nation in the world. We developed quinndryll armor while the Saddle Arabians were still figuring out bronze. Our philosophers, poets and architects devised great works of art as the Equestrians warred between their trio of primitive cultures. We were strong. We were proud. But we grew arrogant and selfish.

No one is quite sure what the catalyst was for our inter-species rivalry, but within a matter of years our great nation was divided along ideological and racial lines. Redtail and whitetail became bitter enemies, eventually igniting a bloody war that resulted in the formation of Whitetail and Cervidae."

An elderly senator rose on shaky legs. "With all due respect, Empress Elinwynn, we are all aware of our history. Every school fawn knows this, to say nothing of the experienced stags gathered before you."

"Senator Fondriis speaks the truth," another said. "You seek to lecture us on basic history, yet you make no mention of the atrocities committed in the name of reunification. Since our separation, Cervidae has sought to put us to the blade more times than one can reasonably keep track of. There has never been a generation that has known peace." Several voices echoed him in agreement.

Empress Elinwynn had expected exactly such an objection, and was ready with a counter without a moment's hesitation. She would have to thank her brother later for his extensive knowledge of such things. "Whitetail cannot claim that their hooves are free of blood either, Senator. Twelve seasons ago, a force of three hundred bucks from the 12th Forest Rangers set out to carve out a piece of Cervidaen land. The esteemed Chancellor Artellus, beholden as a justicar of peace and progress by many in this city, gave the order knowing full well it might lead to war. Were you aware of this back then?"

"Artellus was only reclaiming what had been taken a decade earlier from us!" the senator retorted.

"And yet, that stretch of land belonged to Cervidae for three generations prior to your...incursion. In the ensuing battle we lost over fifty soldiers before driving the whitetail away. I would have been fully justified in invading Whitetail then and there, yet I did not. Reunification, my good senator, is something that I fully believe in, and I was not going to let it dissolve before my eyes because your chancellor could not keep his pride separate from his duties." Elinwynn raised her voice to an authoritative but still respectful level, one of the skills passed on by her mother. "It is true that we redtail have been aggressive, even militaristic in the recent past. Under my mother and grandmother, our nations knew war the likes of which had not been seen since the Great Divide. Thousands died, and that legacy is a burden I must carry with me, but those days have passed. Since I took the throne two decades ago, there has not been a major incursion into Whitetail by Cervidaen forces, barring taking back land which was rightfully ours." She shot a look full of daggers at the senator who had called her out. She quickly caught herself doing so, and cursed herself for allowing her true feelings to show through.

"No major incursion?" Senator Vaxillis shouted. "Then what do you call this force you marched across our borders? Do you require sixty thousand bodyguards, Empress? I know all about your 'Regulars' and 'Exemplars' that have done their best to remain hidden." He turned to his fellows and stomped a hoof in defiance. "Do not be fooled by her words! This is an invasion from within, as sure as if she'd slaughtered her way to Evinwiir!"

"I am not here as a conqueror, senator, and I would ask that you refrain from claiming as much. If I had wanted to take over Evinwiir by now, I would have. Or do you think I am somehow hesitant to put sixty thousand soldiers against a depleted, demoralized band of survivors clinging to an old wall?"

"So you don't deny that you're hiding soldiers?"

"I don't deny that I have them. As I recall, this senate and its citizens applauded my brother when he offered to come to your rescue. Has something changed, or are you simply being stubborn?"

Chancellor Vinawyll stepped in, seeking to quash any conflict before it arose."Senator Vaxillis, you cannot deny that our struggle is a lost cause without Cervidaen help. The Equestrians can always field more soldiers, fresh and eager for battle, while ours are weary and overworked. The only reason we're still here to discuss this matter is because Celestia is a fool who refuses to invade this city and strike a killing blow. Mercy may be her greatest strength, but it is also her greatest weakness. With Empress Elinwynn and Brother-General Corvalix at our side, we can take advantage of that weakness and strike at the heart of Equestria's army with a vast band of superior soldiers."

Vaxillis crossed his forelegs over his chest. "That is all well and good, but suppose we do win this war. What then? Surely we would be absorbed into the greater Cervidaen Hegemony, like so many other nation-states. I would sooner die than see Whitetail become a subservient of our greedy, self-righteous cousins."

"Those 'greedy, self-righteous' cousins are offering us a way out of this war without our city being razed or our nation falling to the Equestrians." Senator Karix rose to speak, one of the few who had been chosen to stand with Vinawyll during their meeting with the Empress in the old ruins not even two days prior. In his eyes, there was only one proper course of action, and he intended to see it followed through. "It is time to set aside our pride and our intolerance and embrace the rejoining of our races. If the Equestrians can come together as unicorn, pegasus and earth pony, then what is stopping us from uniting redtail and whitetail once more? Foolish old prejudices, that's what. I, for one, say it is time for us to join our strengths!" Encouraging words answered him from many, but not all, of his comrades. "All in favor?"

"Aye!" came a chorus from the others who had been with him: Faendwin, Syndris and Halladros, along with several others who had been swayed by his words.

"All opposed?" he asked.

Fewer voices responded, but they were louder in their objections.

"Enough!" a young senator shouted. "Am I the only one here who does not wish for either solution? Listen yourselves! This is absolute madness!"

"Senator Praxilus, you have some concerns?" Vinawyll asked. "By all means, voice them."

Praxilus stood tall and adjusted his senatorial robes, doing his best to appear authoritative. As the youngest of the nineteen politicians, barely into his thirties, he was often overlooked by the older stags who considered him to be all bluster and no action, a result of his lack of experience in such matters. But what he lacked in experience he made up for with his unique outlook, detached from the old ways that so many others clung to.

"My fellow senators, I realize that we are in dire straits against the Equestrians. Though it may have been their supposed aggression that started this war, it is that same aggression that has allowed them to inflict so much damage on our great nation. The defeat at Whitetail Wood, the destruction of Quillyyn Keep, the continued losses we take at the end of their blades -- these are shameful moments that we will have to live with, for history will not forget them. Yet for every loss, we have seen great mercies visited upon us, something I have not heard a single one of you mention since the start of the war."

"Great mercies?" someone objected. "That is what you call the slaughter of our sons, brothers and fathers?"

"That is war, Senator Syndris, and it is an ugly thing. Our soldiers against theirs. Yet when the Equestrians marched across our lands, there was not a single report of the ransacking one would expect an invading army to partake in. Earlier this month, they cleared out the largest Nightmare Moon encampment in the Midlands, thus ensuring that no harm would come to those who live within the shadows of those great peaks. Violence against Whitetail citizens has been few and far between, and I have it on good word that those few ponies who do harm civilians are dealt with swiftly and harshly by their commanding officers." He stared down the chancellor, knowing he was placing himself in jeopardy for doing so. "These are not the actions of mindless killers, but of a professional army. You said it yourself: Celestia will not invade our walls, for she is too kind." He raised his voice as his convictions overrode his doubts. "It is our aggression that causes this war to drag on. We should be the ones to end it. I cannot and will not stand by and allow pride to be our downfall!"

Chancellor Vinawyll bristled at the rebellious words of one he viewed as a subordinate. "What are you saying, Senator Praxilus?"

"I am saying we surrender. No more conflict, no more bloodshed, and certainly no intervention from the Cervidaens!" A firestorm of angry words attempted to shout him down, just as he knew they would. They called him a traitor, a coward, a pony sympathizer. Some remained quiet, unsure of whom to support.

Elinwynn stepped forward. "I think you are being quite rash, Senator. Perhaps if you--"

"I did not ask your opinion, Empress." Praxilus had to suppress a smile at cutting off the self-important doe as a look of plain disbelief and disgust came over her. "I don't trust you any more than I trust your back-biting snake of a brother! You speak with honeyed words, and while my older colleagues may be more than obliging in their eagerness to lap up your falsehoods, I am not. We must surrender! Do any of you honestly think Princess Celestia will see our homes burnt to the ground? Has she ever shown even the slightest indication of such atrocities?"

"You forget about River Run," Senator Karix said triumphantly. "And what about the great fire that reduced the entire northern quarter of this very city to a smoking, burning crater? Destruction on such a scale has never been seen! Hundreds died that night, if you've somehow forgotten."

"I am not convinced River Run was the work of the Equestrians at all, Karix. We know now that the Nightmare Moon cultists often wear the armor of their former service days, if only as a sick form of mockery. This entire war may be a lie!" He turned to Elinwynn once more, steeling himself for the words he knew may bring a very abrupt end to his life. "And as for the aetherflame explosion...well, we only have the word of Brother-General Corvalix to go by. Does no one else find it odd that there were no other witnesses to such a monumental event? It is almost as if he just so happened to be in the right place at the right time."

Some of the senators gasped in shock. Elinwynn stared him down with a fire in her eyes, her practiced facade threatening to fall at any moment.

"I suggest you watch your words very carefully, Senator," she said in a voice not at all what it had been. "You accuse my brother, and by extension myself, of high treason and murder. I do not think I need to state how severe these charges are...or how dire the consequences are for those who state such things without evidence."

As much as he wanted to shout her down, Praxilus knew he had to pick his battles. He had already said enough to possibly lose his spot in the senate, and if the doe empress was not appeased she would likely come for him. Her power and influence was too great to think otherwise.

"I am done for the night. Whatever vote you may take, you will take it without me. I will not be a part of Whitetail's destruction from without -- or within." As he marched down the steps the empress stood in front of him, arcs of crackling magic darting between the prongs of her tall antlers.

"I demand you apologize for what you have said, Senator Praxilus. Be thankful my brother is not here, else you would be apologizing to him instead, and he is not so forgiving as I." Praxilus met her gaze and held it, then pushed his way past her. "Senator Praxilus!"

As her shouts faded, the senator was already thinking of what would come next. He had voiced his objections, yet the majority of the others had refused to hear reason. They did not want an end to the war, nor did they care for what happened to Whitetail and its people. They merely wanted someone to follow, no better than sheep bleating at a shepherd. Stubborn and blinded by their own ambitions, that's what they were.

There could be no more doubt, not after tonight. The time for words was over, and the time for action was upon him at last. Disappearing down the street in brief haze of magic, he hoped there was enough time to gather the others.

Whitetail would not die, even if it meant that he might.

Sweat trickled down Baer'barisater's brow despite the cold as he swung a hoof-axe at a small tree, striking it repeatedly until it crashed to the ground with a splintering of bare branches. Immediately he set to work chopping it into smaller pieces, building a supply of firewood to stave off the biting wind and freezing air.

Once he had finished, he leaned back against the far wall of his improvised shelter and let his tired body rest. Winter nights in Equestria were unbelievably cold compared to the comfortable, cool weather of Zevran, something he had yet to adjust to, and every gust seemed to drain him just a little bit more than the one before it.

He'd never felt so alone. Even during his voyages into the deadly yellow forests of his birth lands, home to countless creatures of all shapes and sizes that would happily devour him or drain him of his very blood, there was a comforting familiarity to be found. The songs and chants of his village would carry for miles around, and in the relative safety of his treetop hammock he would drift off to sleep and dream of his family's food and the warmth of the community hearth.

These days, Zevran might as well have been on the other side of the world. Ever since joining the Praetorian Guard of Equestria he had fought for his very life against whitetail and cultist alike, spilling the blood of those who would seek to harm the stallions he had grown so fond of. They had embraced him as one of their own with surprising speed. After a while they had even stopped asking him why he joined the Praetorians, and that suited him just fine. He wouldn't have been able to tell them anyway. Not yet.

He would gladly have given his life for any of them, even the human creature called Tercio. In a way he could relate to the tall soldier more than he could with any pony; both were strangers in this land, brought to their positions by a sense of duty and the drive to protect those less fortunate than themselves.

The others had even given him an affectionate nickname -- Bear -- though that seemed to mostly be out of necessity as very few of them could actually pronounce his given name. It was a title he wore with pride.

A twig snapped nearby, and he quickly drew his sword and leapt to his hooves, listening intently for anything that might be a threat. Hearing nothing else, he allowed himself to relax with a deep breath, drawing a wool blanket over his torso for warmth. The dark nights made him jumpy and irritable; if a deer infiltrator didn't get him, a predator might.

Into the long hours of the night he waited, drifting in and out of fitful sleep before the warmth of his camp fire.

"Baer'barisater," a voice whispered. Bear wearily opened one eye, not sure if the Everfree forest was playing tricks on him again. "Baer'barisater!"

Bear jerked awake and stumbled to his hooves, looking around in confusion as he armed himself. "Who is there?" he asked in accented Equestrian. "Identify yourself!"

"It's Caethil," the voice answered. "You were maybe expecting some other visitor in the middle of nowhere?"

Sliding his weapon back into its sheathe, Bear motioned for the figure to come out of hiding. A tall, well-built deer appeared from the darkness, thankful for the chance to warm himself by the fire. The orange glow revealed a kind face that had been marred by conflict, with deep green eyes that stood in sharp contrast to the short, dark fur of his face and body.

"My apologies for keeping you waiting, my friend. It is a long trek from Evinwiir, moreso when one wishes to avoid being seen. To make matters worse, the snow out this way is terrible. I don't know how you put up with it." Caethil pulled a small blanket from a pack at his side and set it on the ground. Covered nearly entirely from head to hoof in layers of winter clothing, he would have looked almost comical if it were not for the dark expression that tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"I do not have a choice. Equestrian climes are a humbling experience." Bear sat across from the deer and pulled a bronze flask from beside the fire, taking a drink before tossing it to the other. "Drink, it will warm you from within." He waited for Caethil to have his fill before continuing. "You are sure you were not followed?"

"Positive," Caethil said as he wiped drops of liquid from his mouth with a foreleg. "I wouldn't have contacted you if I thought otherwise. I do have experience with such things, after all."

"Apologies. It is easy to forget when one is weary of all things."

"Only fair."

Bear stoked the fire and tossed another chopped branch onto it. It popped and burned with white smoke before settling into place.

"I do hope you have news. The Equestrians believe me to be on leave for another day, but I can only maintain that facade for so long. Soon I will have to return to them, so if there is anything that needs to be addressed it will have to be here and now."

"I understand," Caethil nodded. "Myself and the others truly appreciate what you're doing, and I know you are putting yourself at great risk to help us, so I will speak plainly: Praxilus brings word of a massive Cervidaen force that has crossed the border into Whitetail. Fifty, perhaps sixty thousand strong."

"An invasion by the redtail?" Bear asked in surprise.

"Worse -- capitulation. He says Chancellor Vinawyll and Empress Elinwynn are working together to reunite the two nations under the old banner of the Ochrourus Collective. Whitetail is desperate to hold on to what they have and refuses to surrender, and in their redtail cousins they see a chance for salvation. Elinwynn is more than happy to oblige, it seems. The senate gave in nearly to the last. Only a few objected, and of those few only Praxilus was brave or stupid enough to make his opinion vocal. Apparently he shouted down Elinwynn and stormed out of the building. There was little he could do to convince the others."

Bear felt a stone in the pit of his stomach. Whitetail had been on the losing side since nearly the outbreak of the war. It was no secret that their forces were a shadow of their former selves, but a united deer front would overwhelm even Equestria's military if such an agreement had been made.

"It gets worse," Caethil said grimly. "Brother-General Corvalix is in charge of both forces. I am in the unenviable position of calling him 'sir'."

"But you are a Brother-Commander, are you not? Surely you are responsible for your own soldiers."

"Not anymore." He stomped a hoof on the ground in frustration. "I run the day-to-day operations, but as of yesterday I cannot move my unit without his say-so. We are nothing more than his thugs, trained dogs he can sic on his enemies while we beg for scraps. I cannot be a part of this, not anymore."

"I do not understand," Bear said. "If your senate is the voice of the people, why has it given in to Cervidae so quickly?"

Caethil laughed bitterly. "The voice of the people? My friend, you do not have much experience with politics, it seems. There has been mounting pressure from Whitetail's citizens to end this war for some time. There's even been a few riots and clashes with armed groups of civilians. But the senators care only for their pockets and their hides. This war is not a popular one, not anymore, yet the average buck or doe has no say in such things. That's why Praxilus was so adamant in defending his stance -- he is truly a good deer. When he approached me about speaking with the Equestrians in private, I knew he was worth protecting." He looked Bear in the eyes. "I am tired of this fighting, Baer'barisater. I no longer believe that we are just in our actions, nor do those under my command, and we certainly do not want to serve the whims of the redtail and their self-important empress. I have spoken with each of them at length, and it is unanimous: we wish to surrender to the Equestrians. They can provide us with protection. That is what you are here for, yes?"

"Among other things. Tell me, what is it that has swayed you so?"

"Mercy." He motioned behind him, toward the direction of Whitetail. "The other day I was on a mission to carry a letter from Evinwiir to Salandros, near the front lines. Along the way I happened upon a young buck who was frantically trying to escape from an Equestrian soldier. I kept myself hidden, knowing full well it could have meant watching the unfortunate messenger die before me, but my task was of the utmost urgency.

Yet when it looked like the Equestrian was going to end the buck's life, he instead chose to bandage his wounds and see him back to their lines. It was at that moment that all of the stories about the brutality of the ponies came crashing down. I had seen kindness which likely would have not been returned had their positions been reversed, and I knew then and there that there might yet be a way out of this damned conflict for myself and my charges." Caethil shrugged. "That's been my hope, anyway."

"It is good that you can speak openly about it. Here." Bear pulled a scroll from his winter tunic and set it at Caethil's hooves. "Follow the directions on this map and you should avoid the majority of the soldiers who might be looking for you, both Whitetail and Equestrian."

"Why not just turn ourselves in to the first Guard patrol we come across?"

"Because the soldiers stationed at the border are distrustful of the deer. What will they think when a group of armed and armored whitetail appear before them? They will see yet another ruse." He shook his head. "No, best to avoid them. Keep yourselves hidden, stay on the path I have marked, and have your soldiers turn themselves in to the Legion. They are the ones who wear red."

Caethil considered the map for a moment, then rolled it up and stuck it in his bag. "You said there were other things you were here for. What did you mean?"

Bear considered his words before speaking. Explaining the culture of Zevran to an outsider was difficult at times.

"I have not always been a Praetorian, Caethil, though I would assume such is obvious to any who see me. Before the war's onset, I was a member of Ambin'aa Korutu, the home guard in Zevran. Our people choose to avoid conflict whenever possible, but we must still keep our martial prowess strong, for we know others do not share our views. That is why I learned to fight.

One late evening, after a long day of training, we were visited by a village elder, a shaman, from the Far Plains. He told us the spirits of our ancestors blessed and watched over us, as many shamans would, but before I was going to bed he approached me with a grim look upon his face. When I asked what was wrong, he told me that he had had a vision. A very upsetting one."

Caethil cocked his head in thought. "Do all zebras have these...visions? Are they real?"

"Not all do, only a few. There is an ancient art to it, a trance that requires specific ingredients in the exact amounts to be boiled in a cauldron and consumed. Too little, and you will see nothing. Too much, and you will die. Those who have learned to master this are greatly regarded. As for whether they are real, I do not know. But from what the shaman told me, I am inclined to believe.

You see, when he took me aside, he said that he had seen a terrible war, one where two armies slaughtered one another in combat that seemed endless in its scope. At the time, the conflict between your nation and Equestria was just starting, so I was not surprised. Everyone knew of it.

I said to him, 'Elder Mdembe, the ponies and the whitetail deer are at war. Surely you know of this.'

And the elder, he shook his head and told me in a grave voice, 'No, Baer'barisater, it is not a war of pony and deer I have seen, but one of conquest unseen since the dawn of our civilization."

"I am assuming he did not mean the whitetail," Caethil said.

"I was unsure at the time, but with what you have told me...no, I do not believe that is what he meant. Which can only mean--"

"The Cervidaens."

"So it would seem." Bear stared at the night sky and reflected on how far he'd come, and what lied ahead. "When I asked the shaman why he was telling me this, he said that he had seen a great light standing before the deer, an immovable force for good. Standing beside that light was myself, as clear as a cloudless day, and around me charged an army so vast that its march shook the very earth. He said that I had been chosen by the ancestors to carry out their will against a great evil, but I would have to find my own way." He patted the sword at his side. "That is why I requested to join the Praetorian Guard of Equestria. The princess and my officers believe I joined to fight the whitetail, which is partially true, but they do not know of what I have shared with you. The ponies were at war, and my knowledge of history has shown me that great conflicts often arise from smaller ones. My choice was clear."

Caethil found himself just as confused as when they'd first spoken. Visions of light, given to the zebra by an old stallion, which had led him to join with the ponies in their fight against his people while acting as some sort of 'chosen one' for a hereto unknown purpose? It was all a little too hard to believe, yet Baer'barisater seemed convinced. If it meant he could see the bucks under his command survive until the war ended, he supposed he could go along with it.

"That is all very noble, my friend, but why tell me?" he asked.

"Because I want you to return with me to Zevran," Bear said with conviction.

"I'm sorry? Could you repeat that?"

"You did not mishear, Battle-Commander Caethil. By all means, take the time you need to get your soldiers across the border and into Legion custody, but do not give yourself in. By the next full moon I will be here again. Come find me. You and I must travel to Zevran, so that you may speak with the tribal leaders in the Council, and ultimately Elder Mwolan'e. Together, we will convince them."

"Convince them of what?" Caethil asked.

"Of the need to unite with Equestria, so that Whitetail may remain free."

Caethil jerked back in surprise. "Do you really think that's possible?"

"I don't know, but we're going to try. We must."

"And what of Princess Celestia? What of your duties?"

Bear allowed himself a knowing grin. "Do not concern yourself with that. I have contacted an old friend, one I know I can rely upon. In a few days time, I will be called away by my home land for our own winter celebration. That is when you will find me waiting. I only ask that you arrive that day." He stood and bowed his head with a foreleg over his chest. "A time of great change is upon us. I cannot reveal to Princess Celestia the truth, or it may put my task in danger, as much as it pains me to do so."

Dusting himself off, Caethil returned the salute with a weary look.

"I fear she will know of the Cervidaens' true intentions long before you can tell her."