Author's Notes:

Titans tall will smash the walls,
Still worthy of Valhallas halls,
Storm the land and raid the shores,
A nation born of war.

For three days, Wulfric had been bedridden by the wounds he had received from the orochi. His injuries were tended to by the empresses best physicians and was given the best medicines they had to offer while under the careful watch of Applejack who seemed reluctant to let Chrysalis handle his treatment. It was no secret that she still didn't trust the changelings, given their past history but she had very little choice in the matter.

"Applejack?" Called the gentle voice of Fluttershy who noticed her friend standing outside Wulfric's room.

"Oh. Hey Fluttershy."

"Is everything alright?" The pegasus asked with concern when she noticed Wulfric laying in his bed.

"I'm fine sugarcube." Applejack replied.

"I'm just worried about Wulfric is all."

"Wulfric?"

"That's the caribou in there. He saved me and Rainbow Dash."

"You mean he's the one who attacked Ponyville?" Fluttershy asked before two physicians left the room with bloodied bandages and empty vials of medicine.

"Yeah. I don't suppose you've met the rest of his clan?"

"Um...not really."

Applejack wasn't surprised about her friends behavior towards the caribou, even if they weren't stonehooves. The caribou had raped and tortured her as she was sold from one slaver to the next with no end in sight, it seemed like death would be an easy escape from all of this torment. Then the warborn came.

Wulfric and his clan were the polar opposites of Dainn Stonehoof and his minions, they were kind and caring, and looked after the weak and the sick unlike the stonehooves who would toss them aside. What surprised her most was the number of female warriors they had in their clan and each seemed to be more than a match for their male counterparts, even Rainbow Dash seemed to be welcomed among them. At that moment, the mares heard a groan coming from the bedroom and rushed inside to see Wulfric sitting up in his bed with a bad headache.

"Well hey there!" The farm mare greeted her sleepy friend with a smile and wave while Fluttershy cringed behind her as he stood up.

"Applejack?" He grumbled while opening one eye.

"How long was I out?"

"Three days." Applejack replied while handing him a bowl of water. Wulfric could see the bandages covering his body but even as he moved, he felt no pain. Struck by curiosity, the young chieftain removed the bandage covering his right arm and was astonished to find that the cut that was once there had completely vanished. Not even a scar was left.

"What in Odins name?" Wulfric was completely astonished by how fast he had healed, not even his tribes medicines were capable of doing such a feat. A pair of guards who were on patrol saw the young chieftain standing and rushed to inform the empress who wasted no time in using her magic to teleport herself right into the middle of the room with a gleeful smile.

"Oh. So you're finally awake are you?" The empress asked while holding Wulfric by the chin. Chrysalis had never seen a caribou this close before and had never expected one so young or handsome, she found him very physically attractive.

"I do apologize for my guards behavior. They have a tendency to hack first and ask questions later."

"I noticed." Wulfric replied while keeping an eye on her as she examined his physique. The empress held his arm gently and began feeling his muscles while grinning like a child with a new toy.

"I have heard stories of you chieftain but I would never imagined you would be so...Young." She said in a somewhat seductive tone while licking her lips.

It was clear that Chrysalis was using her charms to seduce the young stag but instead of accepting her compliments, Wulfric simply shrugged her off while removing the rest of his bandages to find his body completely healed. The empress was a bit curious since no man had been able to resist her beauty, yet he seemed immune to her feminine wilds.

"How interesting." She whispered to herself before calling her servants with a clap of her hands.

"You called your majesty?" Asked the first servant while bowing to her master.

"Tonight we will have a feast. Have the chefs prepare their finest dishes and...invite the warborn."

"As you command."

The servants vanished in a flash of green light, leaving their leader to speak to her house guest in a more private manner. Present company excluded.

"What are you planning changeling?" Wulfric asked with suspicion while Chrysalis pretended to gasp in shock.

"Why young sir I am offended! I simply wish to show my hospitality to you and your people."

"I'll bet." Retorted Applejack.

"I will have my servants prepare baths for all of you along with some clothes."

As promised, Applejack and her friends were given their own private bath to wash up for tonight's feast. This was one of the many things they had missed since the Stonehooves took over and it was much better than getting a cold bucket of water splashed on their faces once a month.

"Isn't this relaxing?" Fluttershy sighed while gently pouring another bucket of water over her.

"It sure is." Rainbow responded while laying back with a hot towel on her face before getting splashed by Pinkie Pie diving into the hot tub.

"This hot spring is great!" The pink mare shouted while splashing around like a foal in a bath tub. Her fun was interrupted by a thestral maid holding fresh towels for the four mares to dry off.

"Dinner will be ready shortly." The maid said briefly as the mares got out of the tub and were dressed by several more attendants. Each of them was given a silken robe to wear and had their hairs tied in a bun, save for Rainbow Dash who stuck with the clothes Wulfric gave her as she preferred to not dress in frou frou outfits.

"Ohh Fancy! I bet Rarity would love these!" Pinkie said aloud when the room became awkwardly quiet.

"Oops! I didn't mean-."

"It's fine Pinkie." Said Rainbow Dash while placing her hand on her friends shoulder.

The girls followed the maids to the dining hall where the Warborn had already begun feasting and it came as no surprise that their table manners were somewhat barbaric, given their heritage. Wulfric however ate his meal calmly while scanning his surroundings and noticed some of the empresses servants were looking right at him like he was some sort of criminal.

"Enjoying the food?" The empress asked while playfully taking a nibble from her plate.

"It's good." Wulfric replied after taking a few bites. The food and drink were very exotic in their flavor and very tasty.

"Now as for why I spared you. It is because I believe you can help us with a problem here in the swamp." The empresses revelation instantly piqued the young chieftains interest as he began listening intently to her problem.

"The Stonehooves have built a fortress just on the edge of the myre, it would only be a matter of time before they find me and my subjects here." She paused, knowing that Wulfric would be able to piece together her offer.

"So you want me and my clan to take care of it."

"Smart boy." Chrysalis complimented him while booping his nose like a child. It was after the feast that Wulfric assembled his best warriors and the elders of the clan for a war council to discuss Chrysalis' offer and of course many found it very suspicious.

"This whole thing reeks of deception chieftain." Said one of the warriors who was sharpening his axe.

"Yes but it could benefit us also." Wulfric responded before rolling out a map given to him by Chrysalis.

"The fortress serves as a storehouse for Dainn's slave trade so it will be stockpiled with food and weapons which we'll need if we are to continue this war."

"True but how do we know this isn't a setup?" Asked one of the elders.

"We don't."

That was Wulfric's only response as the council fell quiet. On the one hand, the supplies in that fortress could help Wulfric refit his warriors and if possible, give them a stronghold from which they could make a stand against Dainn. On the other, the location of the fortress was far too secluded from any roads or cities and seemed like a good place for an ambush.

"We could send a small group inside. See what we're dealing with." Another elder suggested. The plan seemed simple enough, infiltrate the enemy and then strike from within but the question was: How to do it.

"Send two of our best scouts to the fort and tell them to report back in three days." In a split decision, Wulfric quickly devised a plan to get inside the enemy stronghold and with a wave of his hand, he dismissed his warriors to prepare for the mission.

"As you command chieftain."

Three days had passed since the scouts returned from the stronghold. Wulfric and his entire clan were disguised as slave traders coming in with a fresh supply of newly captured mares and does to sell to the fortress' commander who didn't hesitate in letting them in after hearing the good news. At the front of the caravan was Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie who were tied by the wrists and collared like any slave caught by the Stonehooves.

The slavers were more than pleased to see the former elements of Kindness and Laughter tied up like wild beasts but were more curious about the large wagons covered by tarps.

"What you got in there?" Asked one of the stonehooves when the guard next to him pulled off the tarps to reveal a cage full of naked does wearing black collars while under the wagons were Rainbow Dash and Applejack who had chosen to stay out of sight for risk of being recognized.

"Take these wenches into the stables!" A stallion shouted as the wagons rolled in while they closed the gates, unaware of what was about to unfold. While the does were taken into the stables, Wulfric and his warriors moved to different sections of the fort and began gathering some intel from the enemy including their trade routes and the number of troops stationed here in the fort. As night fell, the female warriors of the warborn began arming themselves under the cover of night while the guards were lazily sleeping the night away. Wulfric and the rest of the warriors were busy getting the stonehooves drunk on ale and wine as they snatched the keys to the prison cells and handed them to Rainbow Dash and Applejack disguised as servant girls wearing veils.

As the sun began to rise, the warborn began to reopen the gates as the rest of the army awaited Wulfrics signal. This would be a day of blood.

Sometimes a viking is born who carries the spark of gods: Raiders, we call them. It is a name that can summon armies. They are ruthless, fearless warriors made for battle who wield their axes without mercy. The moment of a vikings death is chosen by destiny, so what use have they of armor? Or of fear?

"VALHALLAAAAAAA!!!"

At the sound of their chieftains warcry, The Warborn began storming the fortress in a wave of fury and bloodlust. The stonehooves and royal guards had become too drunk to stand properly let alone fight but that did not stop them from shrieking in terror as they were struck by the axes and swords of their enemies.

"We gotta get out of here!" A caribou shouted as he made a break for the prison cells with a few others following him.

"There's an escape tunnel just below the prison!"

"What about the slaves?"

"Leave em! We can always get more!"

The moment the prison doors open, the slaver was struck by an axe held by an orange mare as the female warriors began pouring out of the prison leaving the rest of them trapped by a circle of spears and axes. There was no way out of this circle of death, the slavers could see the hate in the eyes of their former captives and each looked like they were ready to tear them apart like wild animals.

"Shall we dispose of them now chieftain?" Asked a female warrior twirling her spear.

"No. We're not going to kill them." Wulfric answered as he pulled his dagger out of his boot.

"We're going to make an example of them."

Later That Day

After hearing news of the attack, Dainn Stonehoof himself rode out with his personal guard to see the destruction with his own eyes. What he found enraged him.

The entire fortress was scorched and dozens of his loyal followers laid rotting on the ground, swarmed by flies. Save for a few survivors who were tied together on a single banner baring the colors of the warborn clan and above their heads was a single bag dripping with blood.

"You there! See what's in that bag." The tyrant king ordered as one of his guards cut down the bag. As he opened it, his face became filled with shock before he tossed the bag aside and began throwing up on the bloodsoaked ground.

"What's wrong with you?" Dainn asked before noticing the survivors groin areas were stained with blood and as he looked inside, he found a disgusting sight. The genitals of the slavers were cut clean off and placed in the bag as a warning for all who continued to follow the ways of the Stonehoof Tribe.

This was a declaration of war.

End.