"People of Evinwiir, I bring wondrous news! After months of senseless death and destruction inflicted upon this great city by the Equestrians, the siege of Evinwiir has come to an end! The ponies have retreated at last! Glory to Whitetail, and deerkind everywhere!"

The gathered crowd cheered at the base of the senate chamber's steps, waving green and white flags and tossing festive bundles of winterberry leaves. Chancellor Vinawyll smiled victoriously, surrounded by the surviving senate members who had not proven treasonous to the cause. Empress Elinwynn and Brother-General Corvalix stood nearby, content to let the whitetail have their celebration. Today was to be a day of great import, the first step on the road to redemption for deerkind after it had been humiliated by the ponies. After the unfortunate business of rooting out conspirators, Whitetail needed a good boost of confidence.

"Thank you, my friends. For over half a year we have suffered at the unfeeling, murderous hooves of the Equestrians, from the slaughter of River Run to the fall of Quillyyn Keep and beyond. Many lives have been lost, yet here we stand, stronger than ever. Out of the hatred and barbarous tactics employed against us, we have found something wonderful: hope. Love. Unity! Divided for centuries, our redtail brethren have at last rejoined us!"

Another rallying cry, shouts of adoration. Behind the senators, Brother-General Corvalix ordered his gathered personal guards to salute the crowd. They did so as one, crisp and disciplined.

"Good people of Evinwiir, you are free. Soon you will be able to visit your friends and family all across this great nation of ours. Trade caravans will resume, bringing the bounty of Whitetail to your homes, and we will begin to rebuild all that we have lost.

"How shameful it is that we kept ourselves apart for so long. The so-called wisdom of our forefathers held that our once great peoples were incompatible, merely for our differences in appearance and culture. Families divided by ideology, torn apart and scattered to the far corners of Whitetail and Evinwiir like so much chaff in the wind, lands fought over in an endless back-and-forth of border skirmishes and proxy raids by hired swords.

"No, history has not been kind to us. In the end, it took a costly war to reunite us with our redtail blood, and in some perverse way we have the Equestrians to thank for it. Perhaps soon, should our great nations will it, we will once again become the Ochrourus Collective of old -- rulers of all we survey. But that is a vote for another time. For now, we have but one goal in mind: the defeat of Equestria's oppressive armies, the dethroning of Princess Celestia, and the surrender of Equestria itself! Whitetail and redtail, Guards and Exemplars; we march as one! For victory! For unity! For the glory of deerkind!"

Vinawyll focused his magic and launched a glowing orb into the air. It shot up at fantastic speed, gradually slowed above the highest spire of the capitol building, and burst into streamers of sparkling crystal for all of Evinwiir to see.

"Open the gates!"

Shouted orders echoed his command, and thousands of soldiers responded in kind. Formed into long, narrow columns along the battered wall near the southern gate, the bulk of the joint armies rallied under the roar of reinvigorated veterans eager for revenge. Their cries of "Whyytalia Hwah!" echoed through the streets and alleyways, mixing with the cheers of the crowds, and for a long moment it felt as if the entire city was alive with excitement.

"Your Grace, if you would do the honors?" Vinawyll bowed to Elinwynn, and she smiled back before stepping in front of the masses.

It had been almost too easy at times. A bit of manipulation here, a promise there, and now she had the whitetail practically eating out of her hoof. Had she not been in front of thousands, she might have laughed at the absurdity of it all. Not only did she control the country that had been her family's rival for generations, but she had done so without spilling a drop of blood. Well...beyond what had been necessary, of course. Some misguided fools had stood in her way, for a time. No more.

Clad in elegant robes of her mother's design, with a headpiece crowned with thunderbird feathers, she looked every bit the part of the strong, enigmatic leader she knew she was destined to be. Golden chains swayed and tinkled as she looked over the crowd.

"People of Evinwiir: welcome, and thank you all for coming. Your support has been invaluable, far more than I can ever begin to put into words. Were it not for your dedication, we may very well be sitting atop a pile of rubble at this very moment.

"I have given Princess Celestia every opportunity to bring the murderers who slaughtered our people to justice. I asked merely that she turn them over to us, that we may avoid war entirely. Yet sadly, and perhaps inevitably, she has failed to do so. It would seem she wishes to see her nation burn before she will admit to being wrong, and for that there can be only one solution: we will march into Canterlot, arrest her, and bring her forth to speak for her crimes against deerkind!" When she next spoke her voice boomed like a thunderstorm, carrying across the city in the commanding voice of her foremothers. "Soldiers of justice and righteousness, of Cervidae and Whitetail alike: FORWARD!"

"Well fuck me sideways. Looks like the redtail weren't bluffing after all."

From a place of concealment among the evergreen treetops, Battle-Master Gilias watched a seemingly endless formation of deer march out from the grand gates, row after row, banners of Cervidae and Whitetail held high on flag poles. The rank and file whitetail appeared to be at the front, likely to serve as fodder, while the Cervidaen Regulars made up the bulk of the formation. They wore darker quinndryll armor than the others, the color of damp moss, and to the last they carried segmented shields decorated with the insignia of their units.

Officers with colored sashes kept pace alongside each group of roughly one hundred deer, barking orders and relaying messages from the others. Occasionally, a doe in sapphire blue armor would bring up the rear of a formation -- the vaunted Imperial Protectorate, if Gilias knew her enemy. She hoped her cover was sufficient, as she was not eager to get into yet another battle with someone who could fry her with a bolt of raw energy. She'd had quite enough of that at the Midlands camp.

Beside her, Victus cautiously moved a branch to get a better view. He lacked his usual armor, opting instead for a winter garment that matched his white coat. Speed, not armor plating, would save him if he had to run. "I've not seen such a display of power since the battle of Everfree. Is there no end to their number?"

"Cervidae isn't fucking around. I think they've learned not to underestimate your kind after you destroyed the whitetails' capability to fight."

A brief pause, followed by yet more deer streaming out into the wilderness. With them came a long line of swing-arm siege weapons, carts filled with pots of emerald flame, and hundreds of archers. "How many do you estimate in total? Five thousand? Six?"

Gilias shrugged. "Something like that. The scouts from the 19th Equestrian estimated their number could exceed ten thousand. If those tree rutters keep pouring through the gate like this, ten thousand could be an easily reachable number." She turned to him. "I hope your princess can pull another army from her magical ass, else this could be a short war."

"We'll figure something out. The stallions at Quillyyn Keep are prepared for a numerically superior enemy. We'll funnel them into a kill zone," Victus motioned with his hooves, then brought them together, "and when the time is right, pegasus flanking squads will rush in from the side and cleave through them with quick strikes. That's the plan, anyway."

Gilias gave a sound like a low squawk, the griffon equivalent of a dismissive laugh. "You know how plans tend to work out. I hope they've got a backup ready for when it inevitably falls apart."

A new formation marched into view, forming a protective wedge around the gates. They stood at rigid attention, each wearing the cross-shoulder sash and split cloak of Cervidae's elite Exemplars. A small group of ornately decorated deer briefly conversed with the soldiers as they exited the gates, then carried on at a near gallop to catch up with the rest of the army.

"Senior officers," Gilias said, pointing to them with a razor-sharp talon for emphasis. "No one else is important enough to get their own personal Exemplar detachment, except maybe the royal cunt herself, and I don't see her marching into battle any time soon."

"There -- Corvalix." In the very center, surrounded by subordinates, a tall buck in dark emerald armor levitated a flask from his side. His decorated helm stood out for all to see, lined with a crown of bright orange and red phoenix feathers that framed his antlers.

"You sure that's him?" she asked, craning her neck to get a better view.

"If Senator Praxilus is to be believed, yes. I doubt we'll find anyone else with such a blatantly eye-catching display."

"If that is him, then I'm sure he knows he's being watched. Royal blood or not, you don't get to his position without knowing what you're doing."

"No doubt." Victus pulled a map from his pouch, marking down formation sizes as each one disappeared into the thick forests beyond the open hills. The city's large gates closed with a rumble. The deer army had finally ceased its exhaustive exit. "What do you think? Should we wait and see if more are coming, or should we report back with what we have?"

"Oh, I think leaving would be a wise decision."

Victus and Gilias whirled around, weapons out, at the voice that had come from so close behind them. He gasped at the sight of a redtail doe standing nearly within a foreleg's reach, balanced effortlessly on a branch. No, he realized, not just any redtail doe -- Empress Elinwynn herself! Gilias did not hesitate for even a heart beat, quickly dashing forward and thrusting her swords into Elinwynn's body. They passed through the air harmlessly, leaving a trail of sparkling magical energy as the image studied them in amusement, her head cocked in curiosity.

"I had expected the Equestrians to send a scouting party, but I did not expect the great Battle-Master Gilias to be among them." Elinwynn clicked her tongue. "Imagine my surprise when I heard a famed warrior was shadowing a Legion unit. And here I thought the rumors of Skytalon's involvement were limited to those silly followers of Celestia's sister. I don't recall the Griffon Empire being particularly fond of ponies."

Gilias sneered and clashed her swords. "Don't waste my time with these games, you royal bitch! Face me!"

"Now now, Gilias, there is no need for such harsh words. Can't a doe indulge herself in a bit of fun every now and then? You half-beasts are always so brash and impulsive."

"Where are you? What do you want?" Victus asked, keeping his guard up.

"That would be telling, wouldn't it? I assure you, this vision of beauty and elegance before you is quite removed from my current location. As for what I want: a brief moment's entertainment, nothing more or less. I must admit, you are superbly skilled at concealing your location from my lesser brothers and sisters, else we would not be having this conversation right now. But I'm afraid you could still use a bit of work, lest my not-so-generous magii find you." Imperceptible shouts echoed from the forests ahead, female voices to the last. "Oh dear. It appears I've spoken too soon. If I were you, I would make all haste back to your unit. I'm sure they eagerly await your return."

Gilias unfurled her wings and was about to take flight when Victus stuck out a hoof to stop her. "Wait." He turned to the image of Elinwynn as his sword slid back into its scabbard. "If it was so trivial for you to find us, why not kill us yourselves, wench? Why toy with us so?"

Elinwynn giggled infuriatingly at his query. "It's really quite simple, my pegasus friend: if I killed you here, there would be no-one to spread word of my impending victory over your meager little diarchy -- though I suppose it's a monarchy now, isn't it? I want Celestia to know what's coming for her. Perhaps if she bends the knee before the slaughter can begin, I will spare her subjects the shame of slavery." The voices were growing closer, and distant figures could be seen loping across the clearing toward their position. "I suggest you go now. Do take care! Oh, and tell your brother I will be seeing him soon."

Victus hovered at eye level with the fading image, his face hot with anger. "Don't you dare lay a hoof on him, or with the gods as my witness I swear I will flay the very flesh from your bones, you disgusting whore queen!" Elinwynn's illusion turned to glittering dust, and within seconds was dispersed to the wind. He kicked the branch under him hard enough to snap it in two, sending it clattering to the ground below with a cascade of snow. "Fuck! I should have known we'd be detected!"

"You can feel sorry for yourself later! We need to leave right this instant!" Gilias took to the air, with Victus quickly following suit. They skimmed the treetops, dipping between gaps in the forest to conceal their locations, and flew south as fast as their wings would take them.

"Simple minds are so easily fooled." Atop the southern wall, Empress Elinwynn watched the pair of Legion scouts depart for the safety of Equestrian-controlled territory. A small group of Protectorate magii arrived a few moments too late to matter, briefly searching the area before returning to their units. Once she was sure no other intruders were in the area she turned to her aide and ranking Protectorate commander. The middle-aged doe had her eyes shut in concentration, her antlers glowing with magical power that crackled and arced between the prongs like lightning.

"You may give the order now, Aalyndria. I believe we're clear of interlopers for the time being."

"Yes, Empress." Elder Magii Aalyndria opened her eyes, her powers coming to rest with a snap of electricity that rippled through the area as a wave of subtle force, signaling nearly two dozen of her battle-sisters to do the same. Over a period of mere seconds the cloak of mass illusion was lifted from Evinwiir, revealing thousands more soldiers waiting to be sent on the war path.

"What a shame that our whitetail cousins lack the aptitude for such a wondrous spell. I dare say they might have held out a bit longer before crumbling like a shattered stone."

"As you say, Empress. If I may say so, it is an honor to serve at your side. Rooting out traitors and criminals always feels like such a waste of time and talent, but this? This is the very thing I've hoped for since I was but a fawn."

"On that we can agree," Elinwynn said with pride. She hadn't told anyone, but in truth she'd expected such a grand deception to fail. The theory was sound, yet it had never been tried on the scale of an entire city. She was delighted to no end that it had worked. "Once Gilias and her pegasus friend return with their report, the scum who have occupied Quillyyn Keep will be in for quite a surprise once we flow over them like a tidal wave." She laughed to herself. "To think we'd commit such a small force to a frontal assault! No, there will be no half-measures in this conflict. We will wipe out all who stand in our way with overwhelming numbers, and we shall not stop until the princess herself bows before our might."

A calm had come over the city, now that the normality of daily life had returned. All who remained were outwardly loyal to the cause, and those who were not would be wise to keep their mouths shut. The old city had a certain beauty to it, despite the war-damaged walls and buildings, and for a moment she considered making it the capital of the soon-to-be expanded borders of the Cervidaen Hegemony.

"Ah, but I get ahead of myself. I believe we have a stronghold to liberate first. Send word to the others: they are to depart immediately. But tell them to slow their pace, for I want them to arrive no less than one hour after Corvalix begins the assault. They will know what to do once they are in position."

Aalyndria bowed with a hoof to her chest. "As you wish, my Empress."

Her body shimmered for half a breath, and then she was gone. Her distant form reappeared far below, where an officer snapped to attention at her presence.

Confident in her subordinates, Elinwynn watched the sun as it rose over the lush hills of eastern Whitetail.

It was an ever-present reminder of the true enemy of deerkind.