After another two weeks, the politicians had sorted everything out. The zebricans took much longer than the griffonians to agree to the Caesar's terms, but the promise of the return of their land and a trade agreement finally made them sign off on the Caesar's treaty. Finally, the time for talking was over; the Regiments received the order to march for the ports.

Among them was hers. The fourteenth made its way to the nearest port city, wherein they met up with the navy. As her men made their way onto the ships in the harbor, Rainbow stood on the docks, holding her son. "Listen, Sport. I won't be gone long. I'm not abandoning you. I'll be back, ok?"

"O-ok," he said, sniffling. "I-I'll miss you."

"Me too, Sport. Me too," she said, running her talons through his mane. "Hey, listen. I want you to have this." She slung her goggles off of her neck, putting them in his held out hoof. "They're from a group I told you about; the Wonderbolts. They were a gift to me, from a good friend of mine. I want you to have them. Whenever you get lonely, or scared, or Castus burns the food, or anything else, just put these on. And remember, that I am always thinking about you."

He didn't say anything. He just teared up a bit again and hugged her fervently. She nuzzled him a bit, rubbing her scent on him. She then backed up and spread her wings. She took off, soaring over to one of the ships in the port. When she landed, the crew scrambled around, tying up ropes and checking the sails. Below her, she heard the familiar sound of a speed drum, used to keep order and cohesion among the ship's rowers. A few minutes later, the ship was off the rest of her regiment on about ten others behind her.

Two days into the voyage and Rainbow was bored out of her mind.

Sure, the trip to the mainland would only take about five more days, give or take a few days. Still, it wasn't like she had all that much to do. She had been specifically instructed to stay with her regiment, and so she couldn't simply fly ahead. And the ships weren't exactly the fastest things, only able to go about 50 miles in a full day. And so, they were forced to slog along on the pitching and rolling sea.

Rainbow was currently laying up on the top part of the mast, about six feet below the flapping, blood-red Pryhan flag. In every direction she looked, the shining noon sun glittered off the green-blue salt sea. The only things that marred this perfect image were the rest of the ships in the tiny fleet. Off in the distance, she could see the flapping flags and outlines of another regiment transports; the seventh and the tenth, if she wasn't mistaken.

Rainbow looked over at the boat nearest to hers, just looking at it for something to distract her. The ship was about the size of a sail cutter she went on when she went on a fishing trip with AJ once. However, the ship was less tall than it was long, being at least another ten feet longer. Large, mounted crossbows stood listless on the upper deck, while fixed stone-throwers jutted out from the first deck below the top one. Sailors ran to and fro across the decks, checking the ships rigging, adjusting the sails, or simply cleaning the deck. On the sides of the ship, fifty oars, a hundred if you counted the other side, jutted out further than the stone-throwers, assisting the sail in propelling the ship along the water. Yes, it was fifty on each side; she was so bored, she counted and recounted them at least five times.

Reclining back in her little perch, she looked down at her own ship. The crew in their distinct sea-green coats and black trilby hats were also performing similar actions to those on the other ships, under the watchful eyes of the Pannonian capped officers. However, from her closer proximity, she was able to pick out the fact they were singing, much like how her own regiment would sing while on the march.

🎵Now, we're ready to sail for our Dear homeland!🎵
🎵Weigh hey, roll and go!🎵
🎵Our boots and our clothes, boys, are all in the pawn,🎵
🎵To be rollicking randy, dandy O!🎵

🎵Heave a pawl, O heave away!🎵
🎵Weigh hey, roll and go!🎵
🎵The anchors on board and the cables all stored!🎵
🎵To be rollicking randy, dandy O!🎵

🎵Come breast the bars, bullies, heave her away!🎵
🎵Weigh hey, roll and go!🎵
🎵Soon, we'll be rollin' her down through the bay!🎵
🎵To be rollicking randy, dandy O!🎵

🎵Heave a pawl, O heave away!🎵
🎵Weigh hey, roll and go!🎵
🎵The anchors on board and the cables all stored!🎵
🎵To be rollicking randy, dandy O🎵

Rainbow found herself softly singing along with them, leaning back against the stiff wooden pole. As she did, she reminisced about how long it had been since she had sung. The last proper song she had sung, and not just hummed under her breath, was back in Equestria. Gods above, it had to have been at least six years! Sure, she didn't sing often, and nothing too frilly or anything, but everyone sung!

This thought then turned into another; this time, it was cupcakes. Gods, how she missed cupcakes. Coffee too! Hell, she missed a lot of things about Equestria. Maybe she could write some of these things down? It'd help pass the time, she reasoned to herself. So, she slid off the mast and fell down towards the deck, flapping her wings at the last second to avoid putting a Pegasus shaped hole in the deck.

Ignoring the muttered curses from the sailor she nearly fell on, she made her ways toward the stairs leading down to the second deck. She went under into the large space beneath the top deck, her prosthetic eye almost immediately adjusting to the darkness below decks. This deck served as a combination of crew quarters and a gunnery deck. Hammocks, mats, and even just large chairs covered the space, with small groups of sailors milled about, joined by the artillery crews, velites, and some of her other direct staff. Mostly this was just them sleeping, eating coarse bread, or playing cards, but still.

As she passed through the deck, a few of them noticed her, getting up and giving her a stiff salute and a firm "Ave, Praetor!" She returned it, making her way to the hammock she had claimed as her own. While offered a private room, she didn't really feel like sleeping next to Cato, whose snores could rival signal horns. Instead, she plopped down in a pack blanket, hung by spare cord between two support posts. Below her, the sound of the rowers and the beat drum resonated up through the floorboards.

She pulled out a few bits of parchment, a pen, and a small tin plate from a nearby sarcina to write on. At first, she didn't really know what to write about; it was just her tapping the side of her mouth with the butt end of the pen in thought. She wanted desperately to just fly out, but orders were orders. So, instead, she just decided to write about her old life in Equestria. Think back on the good times, ya know? So, she began to write about her life in Cloudsdale, starting with the city itself.....

Next Chapter: 66~Damnation for the Criminal Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 10 Minutes