Chapter 4

Silver Wings the Spearhead and the Songs of War

Their eyes. Their empty, lifeless and terrified eyes. They were what got to me the most. Not the blood, the smell or the distorted and twisted bodies that filled the village streets. They were terrible, yes, but that didn’t have the same effect on me as the eyes did.

We had stumbled across the pegasus town shortly after midday as we made our way through a hidden valley. I looked around silently as my half of the legion set to work removing the dead.

“Sir,” Ironbird called “pegasus force approaching!”

I looked up and sure enough I saw a large force of pegasi cresting a nearby ridge. They soon arrived at the town and I was pleased to see Deepwater leading them.

“Greetings Silverwing,” he walked up to me all the while looking around at the bodies with a look hatred in his eyes.

“Deepwater,” I turned away from a pair of legionaries removing a dead foal and her mother from a ditch, “are you here to join us?”

“I wanted to see the legendary alicorns in action for myself,” he watched me for several moments “is the blood making you sick?”

I shook my head.

“The eyes,” I replied.

“The eyes make you sick?” he sounded confused.

“No, no,” I explained “we alicorns hold the eyes as the second most important part of the body next to the heart. The heart is the holder of your spirit and life. We believe the eyes are the windows into the spirit. Seeing the eyes like this, so terrified and empty,” I waved my hoof through the air slowly “that is what makes me sick.”

“I understand,” Deepwater shrugged “want to know what makes my feel better?”

“What?”

“Hate,” he growled “turn it all into hate.”

We wandered the town together talking about our culture and traditions of our kind. Anything to distract me from the dead littering the streets. My mind and conversation eventually shifted to Azure and her family.

“I know of Azure,” Deepwater said “she married a very successful general. As a matter of fact, I think she lives in Cloudsdale.”

Excitement and anticipation suddenly filled me but it was soon replaced with worry.

“My scouts still haven’t located the unicorn army or Cloudsdale.” I looked around the streets that were nearly empty of bodies. “How large, do you think, was the unicorn force that came through here?”

Deepwater remained silent for a few seconds. He bit his lips and his ears flattened. When he spoke his words were drawn out in angry contemplation.

“Two possibilities. One, a large raiding party of about five-hundred unicorns did this.” he paused “but I did not see any unicorn casualties or burial sites. Which leads me to believe that it was done by a hundred of the Deathless. A sect of highly trained, magic wielding warriors. I also noticed that none of the dead had signs of death from weapons. The Deathless don't use weapons, only magic.”

“Why are they called the Deathless?”

“Because one has never been killed on the field of battle. They are easily recognizable by their black cloaks and armor.” He sighed heavily. “When they enter a battle, everyone runs.”

The rain started to fall on the blood soaked streets, cleansing them of the crimson puddles. We met up with our commanders in the town hall, one of the few intact buildings.

“We will stay in this town until our scouts return with at least the location of Cloudsdale,” I said as we sat around a long wooden table.

“Yes sir,” they replied. Deepwater and his officers nodded in agreement. His hooves were crossed over his chest.

“So what is the size of our army now?” asked Ironbird.

He thought for a moment licking his lips.

“Ten phalanxes, four regiments of lance and fifteen regiments of spear.”

“That plus the twenty cohorts of a hundred alicorns each I brought with us equals a force roughly eight-thousand six-hundred strong,” I said.

“I saw that you left half of your legion outside our city,” Deepwater stated.

I tapped my forehead deep in thought.

“How large is the army we are going against?” I asked the pegasus leader.

He thought for a moment, his tongue slightly sticking out of the side of his mouth.

“The Third is a smaller army than the first and second but only by a little. Their commander, General Star Horn, follows military tactics by the book.” Deepwater let what he had said sink in “the army itself is composed of twenty regiments of heavy infantry supported by another twenty light infantry, all of which wear a single hoof blade on their right front legs. Twenty five regiments of spear will usually make up the front lines but expect more than that. And of course, a single regiment of a hundred Deathless. Probably the same ones who slaughtered this town.”

“No ranged units?” one of my Captains asked.

“They sometimes will have ballistae or small catapults but they rarely field those against high altitude cities or armies.”

“How many unicorns in all are we talking about?” Ironbird asked.

Deepwater leaned back and licked his lips again as he thought. I was starting to notice that as a habit of his.

“Probably eleven to twelve-thousand, but expect more.”

The room became uncomfortably quiet as uneasy eyes darted around from face to face.

“Eight-thousand against twelve-thousand” Ironbird exclaimed “and that is a small unicorn army! Sir, we are in way over our heads.”

“Oh,” Deepwater continued with a twisted smile “since the earth ponies have joined up with the unicorns there might be several thousand of them as well.”

“Sir,” Ironbird was leaning forwards in her chair waving her hooves around violently “are you hearing this? This is insanity! We should have brought the whole legion!”

“And left the capitol open to attack?” I snapped “there is still at least two unicorn armies out there.”

“But sir!” she shot out of her seat and onto her hind legs.

“That is enough!” I glared at her and she sat down and stared at the floor, her hooves crossed over her chest “Ironbird, you served General Eagleheart and the First Legion for many years. You are a honorable and trusted member of my legion but I will not have you protesting my decisions when there is no better course of action to take.”

I turned to Deepwater.

“You said that General Star Horn fights by the book?”

The pegasus nodded slowly and a smile crept across his face. I could tell that he knew what I was about to say.

“Then we will do something that isn't in his books.”

The fresh dirt smelled bittersweet as our armies stood around the mass grave. A large stone had been placed over the spot as a makeshift monument. A little behind the grave stood thirty large funeral pyres with the bodies of the town's soldiers placed respectfully atop them, ten per pyre. As torches were placed into the straw and wood I remembered the traditional alicorn burial songs that generals sang in memory of the fallen. I chose a short and simple song that dealt little with war. I took a deep breath and started.

“Be at peace

In the stars

As your cares

melt away”

My legionnaires and commanders joined in. Our voices echoed sorrowfully throughout the mountains.

“Though we stay

And you go

Take our love

As you soar

Carry it

Over horizons

Into sleep

Be at peace”

The song ended and I stared at the roaring fires. A question rattled around in my mind. This war would take the lives of many alicorns. The war could even take my life. Was I ready to lead them to that fate? Was I ready to die?

The next day I sat in the town hall with the commanders of both armies. I stared at the maps, read the reports and talked with the scouts. Everything pointed to one course of action. We would have to act fast and wedge ourselves between the recently located city of Cloudsdale and the ever moving unicorn army.

“How do you propose we do that?” Ironbird glared at me as the others sat deep in thought.

“Here,” I pointed to a mountain range blocking our rout to Cloudsdale, “the unicorn army is going around these mountains. It will take them several days to do that. We are going right over it, to get in between them and the city and on ground of our choosing.”

“But wouldn't that wear out our soldiers and make them unfit for battle?” Ironbird protested “If we climb over, it will wear them down, if we fly over, the high altitude and bad air will. We won't even be able to take all of the supplies.”

“That is why we need to act fast,” I said forcefully “we need to get over those mountains, build defenses, and wait for them.”

“I think it is a brilliant plan,” Deepwater chimed. Many of our officers nodded in agreement.

Ironbird leaned back defeated, but she still glared at me with her dark yellow eyes.

“Any other questions before we end this meeting?”

“Just one,” Deepwater smiled “when do we start?”

When I was younger my father took me to the nearby mountains and we climbed to the top. It was a tiring an painful trip but once we topped that rise the view made it all disappear. As we stood on that mountain he had said to me.

-Traveler, this world is full of beauty, but to see it you must first climb a mountain of things that repulse you. Soon, even then, you will learn to see the mountain as beautiful.-

At first I didn't understand what he had meant, but I soon learned. As we tramped up the mountain side I couldn’t help but think about his words. He had showed me how to look past the pain and sorrow and find the good. This war would bring much pain, but it would bring so much more joy. Or so I hoped.

I felt exhilarated as I reached the high mountain col. In front of me, in a fold many miles away, sat a city hovering half a mile above the ground. To the right I could barely make out the columns of an army rounding the foot of the far mountains. I turned back to my army behind me, excitement building in my heart. They looked tired but otherwise trudged on.

“Forward, we are nearly there!”

Their cheers echoed through the mountain pass. Going down was much easier than the trek up. I led them through a gorge that shot strait down the mountain and we were soon free of the the height's perils.

“How many did we lose in the mountains?” I ask warily when we reached the valley below.

They smiled back, even Ironbird looked happy.

“We lost nopony sir,” one of them replied “from either of the armies. Only some twisted fetlocks. It is as if you knew the safest rout through the mountain.”

“It was just luck,” I said modestly. But in my mind I thanked my father again for the medallion.

We were less than a half day march from the city. I was set against flying the army there to prevent unicorn scouts seeing us. Deepwater had already sent ahead a single regiment of spear to warn Cloudsdale of our approach.

As we marched through the night I looked up at the clear, starry night and thought of the Princess. I wandered how she was fairing and if she was making any progress in her mission.

“You are proving yourself a skilled leader, Silverwing,” Deepwater said pulling me out of my thoughts. I hadn't noticed him walk up next to me.

“Thank you.”

Through the darkness I could make out the reflections of his eyes watching me.

“That song you sang, it was very,” he paused to think of words, “very moving.”

“That is a complement right?”

“Yes,” he chuckled softly “you have quite the voice.”

“Thank you again.”

“Do you sing to your marefriend? I hear mares love that sort of thing.”

“I... wait, what? Marefriend?”

He winked at me.

“The lovely princess.”

“I-she isn't-” I scrambled for words.

“I notice the way you look at her, how you act around her,” he laughed.

I could feel my face turning red and I was thankful that it was night.

“Yes, I do love her,” my heart sank a I continued “but it will never work out in the end.”

“Why not?”

I stared up at the stars, a tear dripping down my face.

“Many reason,” I answered “many reasons.”

Deepwater didn’t' continue the conversation for the rest of the night.

I craned my neck to look up at the cloudy city that loomed over our camp being constructed in the valley. It was magnificent, proving once again to me that the pegasi were not the simple and lesser ponies as the council might have believed.

“Does our architectural achievements rival that of the alicorns?”

I looked down at Deepwater.

“It is almost as spectacular,” I changed topics “but we can talk of that later. Now we need to think of a plan.”

I turned to my captains and motioned for them to follow me. I spread my wings and leaped into the sky to get a view of the surrounding countryside. I climbed into the chilly air and landed on a wide cloud. The land rolled out below me like a detailed map. We were a little higher up than Cloudsdale though several of the tall spires and towers were at our level. In the distance, nearly three days hard march away, approached the unicorn army.

“That ridge right there,” I pointed to a series of long hills that ran across the valley three miles away “We will set up a majority of our army along the top of it and I want it fortified.”

“Yes sir,” they replied. Deepwater remained quiet.

I continued, “In the mountains on either side of the valley I want all of our rapid attack regiments stationed there. That means your lancers Deepwater, and any lancers we can pull from the city. When I give the order I want them to circle around the flanks and attack the rear of the enemy army.”

Deepwater nodded in compliance.

“On the ridge I want the hoplites to be front ranks, their pikes and heavy armor will nullify the numerical advantage of the unicorn infantry. Spear-ponies will be right behind the phalanxes in support. Alicorn cohorts will be in the rear but do not think for a moment that you will idle. Once the battle is initiated and the lines meet the cohorts will be doing rapid strikes from behind the lines. As one, fly up and dive directly into the unicorn army and then fall back to your positions behind the lines. Do this until I order you to stop. This will keep the pressure off of our pegasus allies. Behind the lines I want ballistae, catapults, trebuchet, onagers, anything to send projectiles and destruction into the enemy lines. Understood?”

“Yes sir!”

“Good,” I stared proudly at my commanders “lets get to work.”

As they left me I decided to enter the city to try and find my little sister. I walked around the cloudy streets occasionally asking ponies if they knew where she lived. After an hour of no success and elderly pegasus in rusted armor directed me to the phalanx training area. I thanked him and hurried away. As luck would have it I ran into her as she emerged from a market square.

“Azure,” I exclaimed “I finally found you!”

“Traveler?” Her mouth dropped open. “What, what are you doing here?”

She rushed over to me and threw her front legs around my neck. I could hear tears welling up as she continued talking.

“I am so happy to see you! But why are you here? Are you with the legion out in the valley? Did the council change its mind?”

She pulled away and waited for me to answer with searching eyes.

“Yes, I am with the legion. I am leading it.” I paused, then in a more solemn tone, “but the council has not changed their minds.”

“But that means you will become a forgotten, all of you!” her voice squeaked in horror.

“And that is a sacrifice that I am willing to make,” I smiled reassuringly at her.

Her ears flattened and she nodded her head slowly, as if she was forcing herself to accept what I had said.

“Do you want to come back to my house and eat with me and River?”

“I would love to.”

She was quiet as we walked to her house. We arrived at a two story building that stood next to a large courtyard and fountain. I followed her inside.

“Lady Azure,” an elderly purple mare greeted us “welcome home dear. And who is this- oh my, an alicorn.”

The mare gawked at me.

Good morning ma'am,” I kindly said.

“Cloudyheart, this is Traveler, my brother,” Azure said.

“It is a pleasure to meet you Sir Traveler,” Cloudyheart looked dreamily at me “Azure has told me so much about you. You are quite a good looking and handsome stallion aren’t you?”

“Thank you,” my cheeks turned red.

“How was River while I was gone?” Azure asked.

“The little filly was such an angel,” Cloudyheart said “She is in her room playing with her toys. I better be on my way. It was nice meeting you Traveler.”

“Same to you ma'am.”

“Thank you for coming over and watching her,” my sister said as Cloudyheart trotted past and out of the door. “Come on in and have a seat brother.”

I walked into the sitting room as Azure disappeared into the kitchen. I sat on a cloud chair and relaxed. Unexpectedly, drowsiness started to grow and my eyes closed. But I was quickly pulled out of it when a little voice called out behind me.

“Daddy, you home, you home! Oh, you not daddy.”

My eyes opened and I looked down at the little, bright blue filly, her face and pink eyes betraying a look of disappointment.

“I am sorry River Dash. It is just me, your uncle Traveler.”

She stared at me for a few seconds.

“Where mommy?”

“In the kitchen,” I replied.

She scampered off and I was alone once again. Several minutes later Azure called me from the kitchen.

“Food is ready brother!”

I walked into the dinning room and found Azure and River already sitting, waiting for me. Sitting down I immediately struck up a conversation.

“So, where is Skybreaker?” I asked casually.

Azure opened her mouth to reply but River cut in.

“Daddy gone to go fight unicorns,” she beamed at me with a mouthful of greens, “he gone long time though.”

“That is sad,” I said.

“But mommy say that I will go to see him soon, all us together to dance in the sky. But mommy still cries a lot.”

Suddenly it hit me, Skybreaker wasn’t' coming home, he wouldn’t see his family in this world ever again. Skybreaker was dead and the little filly was to young to understand. I turned to my sister, her head tilted down and her face hidden from me under her mane. But occasionally I would see a tear drip off of her nose and into her salad. We sat in silence with the only noise being River's loud eating. When the filly was done she left the table and vanished into the large house.

“He died two months ago leading one of the last active armies against the unicorns. Survivors of the battle say that his dying words were that of me and River,” she was openly crying now “he won't be here to grow old with me, to see our daughter grow up and find a mate and get married. He won't even learn that I am pregnant with our second child.”

“Azure,” I tried to comfort her, “I-I am so sorry.”

“No, you shouldn’t feel sorry. There was nothing you could have done,” her mood suddenly changed and she looked up at me. Rage building in her eyes, “but I know who should be sorry. The council, the senators. They should be the ones who fell sorry. If they would have only acted! Storming, my love, would still be here!”

Her anger slipped away just as quickly as it arose. She shivered, tears started to well up again. Azure sat back and continued to cry.

The edge of one of my curved hoof blades shined in the dim sunlight of the tent. I slipped the looped end of the blade over my hoof and up my leg and tightened it. The other one was already firmly in place. I slid my helmet on and stared at myself in the mirror. It surprised me how much I looked like my father.

“This is it,” I sighed.

I stepped out into the bright sunlight and immediately cheers erupted around me. My eyes grew accustomed to the light and the army spread out on the hills met my gaze. I raised my hoof and the cheers gradually lessened. I wasn't much for speeches but I still was going to give it my all. Using magic I increased the volume of my voice as I began to talk.

“My friends and allies. Alicorns and pegasi. We stand now on the edge of battle preparing for the struggle to come. Long has the unicorns been victorious. Countless times they have beaten you pegasi into the dust and destroyed your futures. But no longer! Today we will turn the tides, stop the unstoppable and start the end of this war. Today we will have victory!”

Cheers erupted and I continued.

“So I say now. Fight for your lives, fight for your future, your homes and families! Fight for each other! Fight, fight for everything you hold dear! Do this and victory will be yours!”

“Very good speech Silverwing,” I could barely hear Deepwater over the cheers.

“Thank you, but speeches don't win battles.”

“True,” Deepwater huffed “but it wins hearts, and that is an important part of one.”

It had quieted now except for the yells of commanders giving out orders. I looked to the distance. The unicorn army was massing on a series of three hills less than two miles away.

“Well,” I sighed “time to see if these unicorns will surrender.”

“You are going to be disappointed,” Deepwater shook his head slowly.

“It doesn't hurt to try.”

I turned to my twenty-five guards who stood at attention in their black and gold armor.

“Form up behind me!” I ordered.

I spread my wings and leaped into the sky with my guard and Deepwater in tow. From my vantage point I could easily make out the size differences of our armies. The unicorn army looked several thousand ponies stronger than the numbers that Deepwater gave me the other day.

“Those are earth ponies down there,” Deepwater growled “more than six-thousand!”

We landed on a small grassy hill in between the two armies. I cleared my throat and magically increased the sound of my voice again.

“Would the leaders of your army please come forward to seek a peaceful resolution and avoid the continuation of bloodshed!”

It was quiet for a minute with the only sound being the wind and the clinking of our armor. I was starting to think that I wasn't going to get a reply until I noticed a small group break off of the army and gallop towards us. As they got closer it became apparent that they were the unicorn general, a noble looking earth pony and twenty unicorns wearing black cloaks and armor.

They stopped twenty feet from us. The one I presumed to be General Star Horn wore artfully crafted gold and silver armor and a blue and pink cape. His helmet was covered in multiple colorful feathers from what appeared to be pegasi. He smiled at me and spoke.

“Well, well well,” his voice was overly flamboyant and high. It grated on my ears “so ta reports were true. Ta fabled alicorns have indeed returned to ta tribe lands und are allied with ta pegasus na less. How exciting und at ta same time sa disappointing. My name is General Star Horn and tis is General Field Fox,” he motioned to the earth pony next to him.

“This war has gone on to long,” I wanted to skip the pleasantries and jumped strait into the important matters, “help me end the bloodshed by laying down your arms.”

“Mahaha,” Star Horn chuckled “you are a very funny pony. What is your name, hmm?”

“I am General Silverwing and you should not take my words lightly.”

“And neither shall you take my words lightly, Silverwing,” he talked to me as if I was a child “ta ones who should be laying down ta arms should be ta pegasus. They started tis war.”

“True we started it,” Deepwater growled, his ears flat on his head and a look of pure rage and hate filling his eyes, “but you have repaid us for it by killing without discrimination!”

“Prince Deepwater, youngest and last remaining son of King Warcaller I presume. We were only teaching your kind a lesson for challenging our power.”

“You have no right to kill the innocent,” I ground my teeth together, anger boiling over.

“Hmm, of course. How wrong of me,” he chuckled again “you want to end ta bloodshed? Fine, I have un idea. How about we set our best warriors against each other to fight one on one. Winner wins ta battle und ta other will surrender. Sound good?”

I turned to Deepwater who nodded.

“Very well,” I said reluctantly, “we accept.”

“Oh good,” he turned to one of the black cloaked unicorns next to him “Shadow Dusk, would you like to be my nomination for our best warrior?”

The unicorn nodded in reply, a cruel smile on his face.

“Have you been acquainted with a Deathless yet, General Silverwing?”

“No, but I have heard so many pleasant things about them.”

“Well, this here is Shadow Dusk,” he stepped aside as the cloaked pony stepped forward, “he is captain of my Deathless. Who do you have that can challenge him?”

I was curious to see for myself the skill of the Deathless, but I didn't want to put one of my soldiers in harms way against an unknown foe. To me there was only one solution.

“I will fight him.”

Surprise momentarily flashed across Shadow Dusk's face. General Star Horn laughed.

“Oh, this is splendid!” he clapped his hooves together, “most exciting. Go ahead, get ready to fight. We will start in a minute.”

I turned to one of my guards.

“Tell the others what I am doing but also tell them to remain prepared.,” then in a quieter tone, “I do not expect them to hold true to the deal.”

He nodded then disappeared in a flash of light. The rest of my guard and Deepwater backed away as did the unicorns and earth pony until it was just me and Shadow Dusk standing on top of the hill.

“Have you ever killed a pony before?” the Deathless asked, his voice like the hiss of a snake.

I didn't answer.

“I can see it in your eyes. You have never killed,” we started to circle the hilltop, his eyes always watching me “I have killed many ponies.”

“Oh yes, mares and foals are worthy opponents.”

He smiled and I wanted nothing more than to see him dead.

Deepwater told me the previous day how Deathless killed their opponents. They cast a spell that drained an enemy’s energy then when the pony was weak they would slip through their defenses and use magic to kill the opponent from the inside. Usually by crushing their heart or other important organs. Alicorns were taught to use magic as a form of defense. Only in extreme scenarios should it ever be used offensively. I tried to remember all of the training my father had sent me though. I slowed my breathing and everything faded into obscurity until the only thing that mattered was the pony opposite me.

He suddenly leaped at me and his speed was beyond anything I expected. I jumped to my right at the last moment but I still was grazed by the energies of a spell. Immediately my strength started to ebb away. A feeling in my head screamed for me to roll to my left, but to late. He slammed into my shoulder and his horn pressed up against my ribs which shattered magically. Ignoring the pain, I swung my front left leg around to try and hit him with my hoof blade but he was already out of reach. In the corner of my eye I could see him charge again and I did something you should not do when losing energy. I flashed flashed myself behind him.

Shadow Dusk jumped into the air and spun to face me as I materialized. I leaped up and slammed my front hooves into his chest and the sound of armor bending and ribs breaking met my ears. We fell to the ground each wrestling to gain the advantage. Me, trying to make a fatal blow with my blades while he was trying to tear me apart from the inside using magic.

I felt the bones in my left front leg shatter and I flashed myself away from him. My energy was starting to run out and if I didn’t kill him quickly I would become to tired to even stand. I stood there on three legs ignoring the pain and the sound of my heart hammering in my ears. He jumped up and faced me once again. I could see some deep gashes on his body proving that my actions were not in vain. He charged me, bloodlust flaring in his eyes.

But this time I had a plan. I flashed myself and I knew he would expect me to appear behind him again. He spun around to face where he thought I would be just as I landed on his back, driving my right hoof blade into the base of his skull. The Deathless crumpled to the ground below me. I rolled onto my side, stared at the sun and passed out.

“He is waking up!” Exclaimed a voice beside me.

My eyes cracked open and the canvas ceiling of my tent filled my blurry vision.

“Sir, sir,” continued the voice, “can you hear me?”

I turned my head and the worried faces of two unknown pegasi entered my view.

“Yes?” I groaned.

“We were sent here to watch over you sir,” one beamed “and can I say, well done killing a Deathless!”

“Sir, the unicorns attacked,” the other cried “what do we do? Your captains are on the front, we will be your messengers.”

“What is happening?”

“They attacked!”

“I know that,” I growled “details!”

They stared at me blankly.

“Oh for the love of... did they mend my bones?”

“Yes.”

“Then help me up!”

They assisted in helping me stand and I hobbled out of the tent. As fast as my weak wings could carry me I soared up into the sky and onto a cloud with a vantage point of the entire battle. The fighting was along the whole line.

“Has the lancers been committed?” I asked the pegasi.

“No sir.”

“Now is the time. Tell the lancers to attack now!”

One of them flew away as fast as he could. I turned to the other one.

“Tell the rest of them to charge, all forward! I can see it, their resolve is weakening!”

“Yes sir!” she zipped away.

I stood up there for another twenty minutes giving orders as the unicorns were pushed further and further back by our lines. Horns sounded through the valley as our lancers flew down the mountain sides like living fury and tore through the unicorn flanks. That was the final hammer blow and the morale of the unicorns disappeared as what was left of the enemy army army surrendered. The only combat still happening was the regiment of Deathless in the center. Two alicorn cohorts quickly eradicated them from the living world.

The adrenalin in my system suddenly wore off and I slipped off of the cloud and towards the earth. I was passed out before I hit the ground.

“Then the lancers swooped in, breaking the enemy lines as they flew down the mountains like a raging storm,” the doctor rambled as he mended my broken wing, “we swept them side like leaves in the fall!”

“I know,” I replied with a smile.

“We took nearly seven-thousand prisoners!”

“So I've been told,” I winced in pain as my bones realigned and mended themselves.

“Well, I am done sir,” he stood and saluted me “and congratulations in both your victory and everything else.”

“Thank you,” I looked back at my flank, the mark of a gold spearhead met my eyes. I had discovered its existence after I awoke but I was in to much pain to care.

Later that evening I wandered around the celebrating camp. In the middle of all the tents, around a large roaring fire was the heart of the party.

“General Silverwing!” announced a drunken Deepwater. He had a fresh scar down the right side of his face.

The rest of the congregation cheered

“Thank you,” I beamed “but I do not deserve any more respect than any of you.”

“Modest Silverwing,” Deepwater galloped up to me balancing a cup of alcohol on his head “drink and celibate with us!”

I took the cup from him and drained it. The liquid burned my throat and stomach. I instantly started to feel giddy.

“That stuff is strong,” I coughed.

“The best of Cloudsdale brandy!” he hiccuped.

Deepwater started to sing a bouncy drinking song and other pegasi joined in.

“Oh, raise your glasses one and all

We seen the enemy come and fall

Spread your wings and take the sky

together friends we'll never die

Forward, forward to glory

Tell that valiant story

Tomorrow the cowards will run

So drink to the setting sun”

There were more lyrics after 'setting sun' but they were indiscernible through the drunken speech of the pegasi. I didn't dare to drink any more so I enjoyed the party sober. After a hour I grabbed a pack of three bottles of brandy and took my leave. I headed to the prison camp being set up on a far hill. I entered the heavily guarded compound with ten pegasi escorts. I arrived at a large tent and entered.

“Ah,” exclaimed an orange earth pony lying on a cot “General Silverwing, what brings ya here to me humble abode?”

He had a raspy voice that reminded me of a pony who yelled the majority of his life.

“Good evening General Field Fox” I said pleasantly “I have a propositions to make.”

“I'm listening,” he sat up.

“If you join our side and send word to your chief to do the same you will be treated as equals and all harms will be forgiven.”

He remained quiet for a minute.

“What where the casualties on both side, do ya know lad?”

“On our side the pegasi lost only three thousand and the alicorns only lost a hundred and twenty-eight. Your army however, more than a half of the unicorn fell while three fourths of the earth ponies were slain. The unicorns sent you in first, with no respect for your lives.”

He shrugged his shoulders.

“Quite staggering aren’t it.”

I nodded.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” I revealed the pack of brandy and gave it to him “a peace offering from me to you.”

“Now yer speaking me language laddie,” he took the bottles greedily “I will accept yer offers, both of them! But I can not speak for me chief. I do not know what he will say.”

I left him and spoke to one of the pegasi.

“Remove the earth ponies from the prison camp and have them set up next to us. Treat them as equals and as friends. Spread the word.”

He saluted and flew off. In the distance I could hear the joyous sounding celebrations mixed with the faint and sorrowful sound of graves being dug.

The funeral pyres sent gloomy clouds of black smoke into the hazy sky. The entire army, pegasi, alicorns earth ponies and the citizens of Cloudsdale stood in attention. I took a deep breath.

“War drums are silent

as we lay you down

victory is won

but you paid the price

We honor you now

brave heroes that fell

may we not forget

your deeds in this life

Go now on the breeze

rise on joyous wings

to peaceful sunsets

and a swift sunrise”

Deep down I wished that I would never have to sing a sad song ever again. But truthfully, I knew that wasn't going to happen.

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I do not own MLP. Hasbro, and some other people who make money off of ponies do.

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