Ruby squinted and tried to shield her eyes from falling snowflakes with a raised hoof, but it did her little good. She could see less than two hundred paces in any given direction, before the world was swallowed up by the boiling white chaos that surrounded her. The storm howled and shrieked like an enraged beast, and it was obvious that the mood of Stalwart Heart, the Equestrian officer standing next to her, was almost as bad as the weather.
"Lieutenant Lightning Strike," he bellowed.
The voice of the gruff earth pony stallion was loud enough the be heard even over the constant wailing of the blizzard, and just a moment later, a white pegasus mare descended from the sky and landed in front of him.
She took a moment to shake the snow out of her mane and saluted. "Sir?"
"Why is this blasted storm still going? You and your team had plenty of time to clear the clouds." Stalwart Heart barked.
"I told you…" Ruby said as calmly as she could manage, but the officer cut her off immediately.
"I think I spoke to the lieutenant, miss. I’ll be sure to ask you if I want your opinion on the matter."
Opinion? Why, you insolent, stupid little… Ruby glared at him, and, which an enormous effort of will, kept silent.
"Well sir, she was right about the weather," Lightning Strike said after the quick exchange was over. "I’ve heard other pegasi who have been stationed here longer than me talk about it, but I never imagined it would be this bad. Trying to change the weather here is like digging a hole into quicksand. It takes a lot of effort, and you just can’t make it stick. In that regard, this place reminds me of the Everfree. If it wants a storm, then it will have its blasted storm, and we can do jack diddly about it. Sir."
"Darn it," Stalwart Heart muttered under his breath. Louder, he said, "Fine. Tell your team to come back down and cover our flanks. You take four of them to scout ahead. If the sky is going to stay like this, I want to know what we're walking into at least."
Lightning Strike saluted and flew off.
"This place is driving me nuts," Stalwart Heart grumbled. "Freezing cold at the best of times, the weather does whatever it wants, and every five steps something tries to bite your face off. What am I even doing here?"
I’ve been wondering that myself you thickheaded jerk.
Ruby bit her tongue to keep it in check and looked around to see how the rest of the troops were holding up. The patrol she had been assigned to was more than a hundred Equestrian soldiers strong, sixty of them belonging to the tribe of earth, and twenty from the tribes of air and magic each. Even here on the road, the snow was reaching up to their knees, but the earth pony soldiers held their marching formation and stoically set one hoof in front of the other without any sign of exhaustion.
The unicorns were not doing quite as well. While the earth ponies, much like Ruby and the majority of her fellow crystal ponies, were hardy and strong enough to endure the constant strain and freezing temperatures, and the pegasi were at least partially warded against the extreme conditions by the same latent magic that allowed the tribe of air to manipulate the weather, the unicorn soldiers had no such protection. All they could do was wrap themselves in thick cloth and walk through the furrows their earth pony comrades had dug into the snow, and while they were far too disciplined to complain, it was clear that they suffered the most under the extreme weather.
At their current speed, it would take them all day to reach Glitterstone, the small mining community that was the last station on their week long patrol. They would spend the night there, and then return to the Crystal City to rest and report. Not that there would be much to report on this time around - apart from a short skirmish with a small pack of frost wolves and the constant lousy weather, their patrol had been completely uneventful.
Little more than a year ago, soldiers of the Empire could not finish a week long patrol like this without being waylaid five or six times by frost wyrms or entire troll war bands, but these days, snowstorms and packs of mangy, half starved frost wolves were the worst things patrols encountered if they were lucky.
You think things are bad now? You have no idea. We had to fight for every town and every road, we bled and struggled, and you dare to stand there and mock our accomplishments. If I could, I would drag you to the tourney ground and knock you around until you sneeze your teeth out.
Stalwart Heart turned his head and frowned when he noticed Ruby staring at him. "Is something the matter?"
Ruby didn’t look away. "Nothing I can do anything about right now."
Stalwart Heart met her gaze for a few seconds, but then he shook his head and redirected his attention to the dark gray clouds above them, as if his disapproving scowl alone could make them disintegrate; more or less the same thing Ruby had attempted with him just now.
Ruby sighed and lowered her eyes to stare at her hooves. I have no reason to be so resentful. I'm out here, and I'm doing my part. That is all that matters.
That's what Malachite kept telling her whenever she complained. Except that it was rubbish, because she wasn't actually doing anything. This was not her patrol, and these were not her troops. She was merely here so the Empire would have some sort of presence, but even officially, she was nothing more than a consultant for the patrol's commanding officer.
When the troops from Equestria had first arrived, Shining Armor had tried to combine them into a joined force with Imperial knights and soldiers, but he had to realize very soon that they didn’t work well together. The Equestrian military was very modern and strictly organized, and every enlisted pony, from the highest officers down to the rank and file, was a highly trained professional soldier. Imperial troops, on the other hoof, consisted mostly of levies who were almost exclusively called into service during wartime, and had only a few weeks of active duty each year while the country was at peace. As a result, almost every citizen of the Empire had some rudimentary martial training, but overall, they lacked the discipline and skill of their Equestrian comrades.
The Imperial army had a small contingent of professional soldiers, and Shining Armor had tried very hard to raise the number of recruits over the last months, but his efforts had only met with very limited success. Knights and knight commanders were still the most experienced and reliable troops of the Empire, and they were well aware and proud of that fact. Their title had been awarded to them either after years of serving as squires, or after displaying exceptional skill and bravery in the line of duty, and after they received their knighthood, they were part of the Imperial nobility. Taking orders from anyone who was not of their station was not something most of them were used to, and this had caused more than a few problems between the troops from Equestria and the servants of the Empire. After only a few weeks, the idea of mixed patrols had been abandoned almost completely, at least for the time being. Shining Armor still hoped that the two forces could eventually learn to work together, but he admitted that it would take some time.
So knights and soldiers of the Empire patrolled on their own again, while the Equestrian troops were only accompanied by a single veteran knight commander, or a member of the Crystal Lance if the patrol was deemed important enough. But they had no authority over the troops they were assigned to. They weren’t even supposed to join the fighting when the patrol encountered enemies. Their presence was merely meant to show that the Empire’s servants were still the ones taking care of their nation’s security.
However, a few questionable choices made by the prince rendered this symbolic gesture a little moot. Despite the fact that the additional soldiers they had at their disposal now would have made it easy to evenly spread patrols and missions among the available troops, Shining Armor seemed to prefer the Equestrians when assignments were given out. They were entrusted with the most important scouting missions, protected the most endangered towns and communities, and were patrolling the most vital roads and trade routes. By now, it had reached the point where Imperial knights and soldiers could consider themselves lucky if they received any assignments at all, while the Equestrian troops were beginning to stretch the limits of their capabilities.
This was causing no small amount of resentment on both sides. Some of the soldiers and officers from Equestria, Stalwart Heart being one of the more outspoken ones, were starting to complain that the Empire was taking advantage of the support they were rendering, while many knights were angry because they considered the protection of the Empire to be both their duty and their privilege. Whenever she thought about it, Ruby felt a twang of bitterness as well.
It’s as if the prince trusts them more than us.
She was so lost in thought that she almost bumped into the soldier marching in front of her when the entire patrol abruptly stopped.
Wondering what might have caused this sudden halt, Ruby stretched her neck in order to get a better view on the road in front of them. She didn’t bother asking Stalwart Heart what was going on, since she knew that answering her would be very low on his list of priorities.
She could make out two large hills in front of them, barely visible through the falling snow despite their massive size. They flanked the road on each side like giant, silent sentinels, and the whirling snow made it look like the road between them disappeared into a gateway that was covered by a thick white curtain.
Lightning Strike was currently hovering above the road in front of the hills. The only thing that made the lieutenant stand out in the storm was her bright armor. At this distance, her white coat made her a ghost amidst the falling snowflakes, and it actually looked as if an empty suit of armor was floating above the ground where the road entered the shadow of the two hills. The other soldiers Lightning Strike had taken to scout ahead were circling above her, and their coats and manes stood out far more prominently against the drifting snow.
Ruby’s ears flattened themselves against the side of her head, and her tail flicked nervously back and forth. She couldn’t see what Lightning Strike’s attention was focused on, but just looking at the two hills at the side of the road gave her a rotten feeling for some reason.
From what Ruby could make out despite the storm and distance, it seemed the lieutenant was staring very intently at something on the ground beneath her. The golden helmet of her armor hung so low that her snout had to be close to burying itself in the snow.
Several things seemed to happen at once. The soldiers of the scouting party suddenly started yelling, while a black, claw-like hand burst out from the snow right beneath Lightning Strike, and thick fingers closed around the polished metal greave that was supposedly strapped to the lieutenant's right hind leg.
Immediately, two of the circling pegasi swooped down like striking hawks, but a second hand appeared from under the snow and swatted at Lightning Strike's helmet just as her comrades reached her. There was a sharp snapping sound, followed by a throaty bellow, and the hand let go of the lieutenant's leg. Her helmet, however, was forcefully hurled down the road away from the patrol, spinning wildly through the air until it disappeared between the swirling snowflakes, while the rest of her armor crumpled as if the pony wearing it had suddenly gone limp.
Shock and icy fury seemed to freeze Ruby's insides solid. Her muscles were already tensing up to break into a sharp gallop, and through clenched teeth she hissed, "I'll crush you to paste, you savage fiends. For the Empire!"
"You'll stay right where you are," came the sharp response from Stalwart Heart. His tone was so commanding that Ruby actually stopped dead in her tracks after taking the first step, and the officer quickly shouted some orders, "Form defensive line. Sergeant Moonbeam, you and your team take up a firing position and wait for my command." Then he turned back to address Ruby Chip. "I just lost my best officer to this damnable frozen wasteland you call an empire. Right now, I'm not in the mood to fillysit you, and I don't need you getting in the way by charging blindly forward like this is some stupid fantasy novel. Just sit down, shut your mouth, and let us do the job that you apparently can't do by your damn selves."
He didn't raise his voice in the slightest while speaking, but the furious contempt dripping from every syllable made his remarks far more piercing than any amount of shouting could have possibly done. Ruby's anger had suddenly found a new target. This whole mess wasn't her fault, and he had no right to stop her from making this brute pay for what it had just done right in front of them. Her nostrils flared, and she made a single step towards the officer. Stalwart Heart simply stood there and continued to stare her down, seemingly unconcerned by the considerably taller, armor-clad pony literally pawing at the ground not two steps away from him.
Things could have turned ugly fast, but luckily something interrupted them before it could come to blows. Several excited calls and shouts from the soldiers around them made both Ruby Chip and Stalwart Heart turn their heads to see what the commotion was about, and what they saw made them forget how much they wanted to stomp on each others' throats, at least for the moment.
By now, more than a dozen shaggy, lumbering creatures had emerged from the deep snow covering the road, each of them at least three times the size of a pony. However, there was also a much more welcome sight, namely the the five pegasi swiftly making their way towards the rest of the patrol, among them a slightly wobbly and helmetless, but very much alive Lightning Strike.
"Sun and Stars lieutenant," said Stalwart Heart when the Pegasus mare landed in front of them, with the other four members of her scouting party taking up position right behind her. "You gave us quite a scare right now. From back here, it looked like you might have lost more than just your helmet."
Ruby noticed a shallow, but long cut on Lightning Strike's hind leg, and the pegasus carefully avoided putting her weight on it when she landed. Furthermore, the entire right half of her face was swelling up and starting to transform into one massive bruise.
Despite all that, she was calm and collected when she spoke, and even managed a cocky little grin. "Nothing quite so severe sir. Though he did ring my bells something fierce. That chump's got a nasty backhand, so I'm gonna be looking out for that when I knock him on his butt." She turned around and looked at the other pegasi behind her. "Still, could have gotten ugly if you guys hadn't been on the ball like that. I owe you one."
The four stallions behind her nodded briefly. "Don't mention it ma'am," said one of them.
"You'll need one of these," Stalwart Heart said while taking off his helmet and giving it to Lightning Strike. "Can't have you fight without, it's against regulation. Now, I'm going to want that back, and I would prefer it if you returned it personally."
Lightning Strike took the helmet and put it on her head. "Will do sir." Of course, the time they could spent on pleasant banter was very limited, and the lieutenant's demeanor quickly became serious again. "Right then. What exactly are we dealing with here ma'am?" she asked Ruby.
By now, Ruby counted twenty-eight of the massive beast, but at least there didn't seem to be any more of them. Shaggy, white fur that had been dyed black and red in places covered their entire body, except for the gnarled black feet and four-fingered hands, which were completely hairless. Small, beady black eyes lay almost hidden beneath a massive brow ridge, and their necks were so thick and short that their heads seemed to be attached directly to the top of their torsos. Most of them wore nothing but their own fur, but some had pieces of metal, wood, rock or even ice strapped to their bodies to serve as makeshift armor, and all of them were clutching vicious looking mauls, clubs and axes made from twisted wood and crude black iron.
"Frost trolls," Ruby said. "They like laying ambushes like this. The cold doesn't bother them, so they could have been waiting there buried under the snow for hours. Days even." She squinted to get a better look at the trolls and then continued, "The markings on their armor and their war paint say that they are part of the Blackglacier Clan. But..." She hesitated.
Stalwart Heart raised an eyebrow. "But?" he asked, his voice betraying his impatience.
Ruby shook her head. "We are supposed to be at peace with them. After the Empire returned and we began to reclaim our old territory, two of the most powerful troll clans in the Frozen Plains, the Crimson Avalanche and the Frozen Fangs, formed an alliance against us. King... Prince Shining Armor raised an army, and we defeated them at the Howling Barrows." She eyed the trolls, who were shouting and making threatening gestures towards the patrol, and didn't even attempt to hide the scorn in her voice. "The clans respect only strength. After we showed them that we have plenty of that, the five major clans agreed to sign a peace treaty. Some minor clans have been causing trouble every now and then, but the important ones have kept their word so far."
One of the trolls had dug up a large chunk of ice and hurled it at the soldiers. It was surprisingly well aimed, and would probably have impacted right in the center of the earth ponies' defensive line, but it was blasted into little pieces by a pale blue projectile just as it reached the peak of its trajectory.
"Capital shot sergeant," Stalwart Heart said without turning his head.
The unicorn he had addressed nodded once. "It's what I do, sir," he said, his voice muffled by the thick woolen shawl he had wrapped around his head.
After that, Stalwart Heart picked up the conversation as if nothing had happened, "So, how bad is this exactly, and what could be the consequences?"
Ruby thought about that for a second, and most of the possibilities she came up with were anything but pleasant. "It is hard to say. A warband usually consist of more than twenty-eight warriors, so they might just be outcasts who have no ties to their kin anymore. But if the Blackglacier Clan as a whole has decided that they are bored with peace..."
"More raids?" Lightning Strike asked.
"No," Ruby said. "War. The Blackglacier is the strongest clan in the Frozen Plains. We were lucky that they didn't join the other two clans in their alliance, because back then, their chief Morgha Blackglacier was confident that he and his clan could stand against us by themselves. After our victory at the Howling Barrows, he realized his mistake and tried to forge an alliance of all the major clans, but most of them were too scared to face us in open battle again, so they refused. If they have lost their fear by now, Morgha is probably the only chief feared and respected enough to unite the tribes of the Frozen Plains into an army."
Lightning Strike whistled through her teeth. "An entire army of those things? That doesn't sound like fun times."
"It wouldn't be," said Ruby, before adding with utter conviction, "But we beat them once. We can do it again."
Stalwart Heart watched the trolls for a few moments before he answered. Two of the larger ones seemed to be having some sort of discussion, while the others continued their shouting and challenging gestures. "Hopefully. But the ones we are dealing with right now seem a little hesitant to engage us."
"Yes, I noticed that," Ruby said thoughtfully. "It’s unusual. Normally, laying in ambush and charging headfirst are the only strategies frost trolls can come up with, and they already failed at one of them. Maybe they’re unsure what to do because their ambush didn’t work, or they didn't expect such a large force."
The debate between the two trolls had quickly grown more and more heated, until one of them simply clenched its fist and hit the other one in the side of the head. It made a sound like two boulders smashing against each other, and the struck troll was knocked off its feet. The other one screamed triumphantly, swung its large maul over its head with one hand, and ran towards the patrol. Every other troll followed without hesitation, even the one that had just been thrown to the ground after it got back on its feet.
Ruby let out a grim chuckle. "There we go. Now the world makes sense again."
"How do we fight…" Stalwart Heart didn’t get to finish his question before Ruby started shouting orders to the soldiers in front of her.
"Form a spear wall. Show them your steel and don’t give them an inch of room to break into your ranks. When their charge is spent, engage them in groups of three and go for the knees to bring them down, but hold your formation at all times."
"What do you think you are doing?" Stalwart Heart hissed, but Ruby didn't answer.
She waited for the Earth Pony soldiers to brace their spears against the ground and form a row of gleaming steel points before she turned to the officer and spoke to him without acknowledging his protest. "A frost troll in full sprint is more destructive than a stone launched from a catapult. We need to break the momentum of their charge before they reach our ranks. Can your soldiers do that?"
The commander glanced in the direction of the charging trolls, and some of the anger written on his face was displaced by concern. "Sergeant Moonbeam?" he said calmly. "Light those blighters up. Lots of stopping power."
"You got it sir," the sergeant replied while his horn already started to glow pale blue.
Ruby noticed too late how everypony around her quickly turned their heads away from the unicorn soldiers, and then she suddenly felt as if she had stared directly into a fireworks display. Bright beams and orbs erupted from the soldiers’ horns and made Ruby’s entire field of vision explode into a rainbow of blinding colors, and just a heartbeat later she heard sounds of impact and enraged screams.
"Don’t look directly at it," she heard Stalwart Heart say.
Right now, the officer was only a dark blotch surrounded by smaller dark blotches and white spots, but somehow she could still hear the smug grin he had plastered on his face.
"Thank you," Ruby snarled.
She started blinking rapidly to clear up her vision, and after a few seconds, she could see well enough to tell how amazingly effective the magic barrage had been. Most of the trolls were only about thirty paces away from them by now, and the unicorns had not only completely stopped the enemies’ initial charge, but continued to slow down their advance considerably as well. Whenever a troll tried to pick up speed again, it was staggered or knocked down by another magic blast. Meanwhile, the pegasi troops were circling above them, swooping down wherever they sensed an opening, and the combined attack left the ferocious troll warriors in utter disarrangement.
Instead of smashing into the earth ponies' battle line as a single mass of muscle and black iron, the trolls stumbled into an unflinching row of spears one at a time, and were quickly driven back with swift, precise jabs of the soldiers' weapons.
Stalwart Heart seemed to be intent on using the advantage his troops had seized so early on, and quickly gave orders to his subordinates, "Keep up the fire support, Sergeant Moonbeam. Maintain formation and advance."
The short command was all that was needed to make the earth pony battle line move forward as if it were a singular entity, and Ruby had to admit that the Equestrians' coordination and discipline were impeccable. Not even the slightest gap opened up in their formation, and while they advanced towards the trolls, both the unicorn and pegasi troops continued their attacks to keep the enemy confused and scattered. In the face of this concentrated onslaught, the trolls seemed to have lost their appetite for battle. The moves they made against the earth ponies' formation became more and more hesitant, and they began to recoil from the Equestrians' slow, but relentless advance.
Seeing the trolls falter this quickly did not make Ruby feel more at ease however. "This is too easy."
Stalwart Heart looked at her and shook his head. "There's no such thing as 'too easy' in a battle. I never want to see my troops in a fair fight if I can avoid it. I know that's not very knightly of me..."
"No, you don't get it," Ruby said sharply, annoyed by the officers mocking tone of voice. "Frost trolls don't give up ground this easily, even when they are outclassed and outnumbered. There is something else going on here."
She narrowed her eyes and let them sweep over the battlefield, looking for anything that might explain the trolls' unusual behavior, but she saw nothing that could have given her a clue. Meanwhile, the fight seemed to still be going in their favor, and the Equestrian soldiers were gradually pushing the trolls back towards the point where the warband had first emerged from the snow between the hills.
The hills!
"This wasn't the ambush." Ruby pointed at the hills that were flanking the road on both sides. "They've split their warband into three groups and positioned one behind each of the hills. The biggest group was meant to pin our forces in place, while the other two wait for the right moment to charge our flanks. That's why they didn't attack at first. They were hoping we would come to them, and now they feint a retreat to get us where they need us to be."
Stalwart Heart's ears perked up, and his eyes darted back and forth between the two hills his soldiers were slowly advancing towards. "What? Just now you said these trolls are little more than beasts."
Ruby sneered. "They are. This isn't their strategy, they just saw how effective it can be when we used it against them." A proud smirk tugged at the corners of Ruby's mouth. "It's how we defeated them in the battle of the Howling Barrows. The prince and our levy troops held the line in the small valley between the hills, and when the trolls rushed in, we charged their flanks and smashed their army like brittle ice."
"Well, there won't be any smashing done to my lads and lasses if I have anything to say about it," Stalwart Heart said. Then he bellowed a quick command with enough force to overpower both the storm and the noise of combat, "Lieutenant Lightning Strike!"
It took the white pegasus less than three seconds to land in front of them, her breathing hardly elevated. "Sir?" she said with a salute.
Stalwart Heart pointed at the western elevation. "Take three soldiers and check for enemy troops behind that hill. Signal us if you find anything."
"No," Ruby said quickly, and both Equestrian officers turned to look at her with different degrees of confusion and irritation.
The deep furrows on Ruby's forehead betrayed the haste and urgency of the thoughts racing behind it. The soldiers were getting closer and closer to the point where she was convinced the trap would be sprung, so she had to think fast.
Ruby knew frost trolls, and she had faced them enough times to be aware of how they fought. They were fierce, ferocious warriors, and even the weaker specimens among them could easily match three or four Imperial soldiers and about twice as many levied citizens in a straight up fight. But they had no understanding of tactics or strategy. When they weren't laying primitive ambushes, they relied solely on their superior strength and toughness, and simply tried to pummel their enemies into submission in a snarling tempest of unbridled violence. They were used to fighting like that, and it gave them confidence, even when they were obviously outmatched. This tactic, on the other hoof, was new to them, and Ruby knew she could use that to her advantage, provided she made the right decisions.
"Revealing that we discovered their ambush will do us little good," Ruby explained, trying not to betray her nervousness by speaking too hastily. "As soon as they realize their trap failed, the flanking parties will just rejoin the rest of the warband, and then we will have a fight on our hooves that may be just a little too fair for your taste." Before Stalwart heart could answer, Ruby pointed at the group of Equestrian soldiers, specifically the pegasi circling above the battlefield. "Send the pegasi behind the western hill, and have them engage the trolls that lie in wait there." Her hoof jumped from the flying soldiers to the unicorns following behind the earth pony formation. "Then tell the unicorns to position themselves where they can cover the crest of the eastern hill, so they can fire upon the trolls as soon as they try to get over it and join the battle."
"What good would that do?" Stalwart Heart asked with obvious impatience. "Instead of letting my troops fight united, supporting each other, you would have me split them up and fight three different battles at once? If those ambush parties are even there, that is."
Ruby nervously watched the soldiers get closer and closer to the hills. She took a deep breath and fought down the urge to yell at the stubborn fool beside her. "If we can keep the trolls from uniting their split warband, they will break, and they will run. They are not used to fighting battles like this. If we get the drop on them and keep them from falling back on what they are familiar with once they realize that their ambush didn't work, they won't know what else to do." She looked at Stalwart Heart and tried to keep her voice and her expression as calm and factual as she could. "You can fight three smaller battles for a few minutes, or one large battle for what could be hours. What do you think will be harder on your troops?"
Lightning Strike looked over her shoulder to glance at the battlefield, and quickly unfurled and refolded her wings. "It should be doable sir," she said abruptly. "My team can deal with a group of those brutes, if all we have to do is stall them for a while, and if Moonbeam and his lot have a clear line of fire on that hilltop, they'll cut anything to pieces that pokes its head over it. Plus, she has more experience with those things than any of us."
The commander's posture and expression gave away nothing, but his tail whipped nervously back and forth while he stared intently at his soldiers. Ruby clenched her teeth so hard her gums started to hurt.
This was taking too long. She had to act now. Ruby turned towards Lightning Strike and barked her orders at the Pegasus, "You know what you have to do Lieutenant. See to it."
Lightning Strike jumped at the unexpected command, and for the fraction of a second, she seemed unsure how she should react to it. But Ruby fixed the pegasus with a stern, unblinking look, and the mare snapped to attention. "Right away ma'am."
She had already turned around and taken to the air, when the sharp voice of Stalwart Heart hit her in the back like a whip, "Delay that order Lieutenant!"
When Ruby turned to the commander, his face was a mask of icy anger. "Let me make this as clear as possible: You don’t give orders to my troops. I’m the one who is in command here, I’m the one responsible for these ponies survival and success, and I’m fed up with you sabotaging me with your ignorance of proper military protocol. I know in the mob of untrained peasants you call an army, everypony has to grovel before you just because you wear a fancy tin suit and chose an important sounding name for yourself, but don’t you dare…"
The next thing Ruby knew, her right front hoof collided with the commander’s lower jaw with enough force to lift his front legs off the ground. Stalwart Heart’s eyes widened with surprise and shock, and he tried to keep his balance by making a shaky step to the left, but then his pupils rolled up and he slumped to the ground like a sack full of wet rags.
From the corner of her eye, Ruby saw Lightning Strike’s mouth drop open. "Celestia’s Butt!" There was a blur of white and gold, and then the pegasus was standing over her unconscious commander. Her eyes darted back and forth between Stalwart Heart and Ruby, and her expression quickly changed from baffled to murderous.
Ruby, on the other hoof, was still stuck at baffled, and trying hard not to slip into panicked. She should not have done that, but for a second, she had simply lost control. But she was just trying to get everypony out of this alive! She had explained everything, but he had still refused to see reason, and he had no right to talk to her like that just because she had been trying to resolve the situation.
Why didn't he just listen to me?
She fought back her doubts and summoned up every scrap of determination she possessed. This situation could still be salvaged. She could still do what had to be done and make it all right.
"You little…" Lightning Strike hissed and made a step towards Ruby while unfurling her wings.
"I think I gave you an order Lieutenant," Ruby interrupted her.
She couldn’t be sure if it was the calm authority in her voice or the sheer audacity of her words, but Lightning Strike stopped and her ears perked up. "Are… are you for real?!" she asked after a second of stunned silence.
"I am. You know what else is for real?" Ruby said and pointed at the hills. "The trolls lying in wait to tear your comrades apart. Have you ever seen what just one frost troll can do when it breaks into a formation? I have, and I don’t want to see it happen again today. You and your comrades are capable soldiers, and I don’t doubt that you can defeat their warband even if they fight in earnest, but it will be a costly victory." Ruby began to speak more intently and leaned forward, knowing full well that she brought her face and upper neck in reach of Lightning Strike’s hooves and the viciously sharp blades attached to the tips of her wings by doing so, "I know what I am talking about, Lightning Strike. All I’m trying to do is help you and your friends get through this unharmed, and that includes your commander. I will take full responsibility for what I’ve done once this is over, but until then, help me to keep your comrades safe."
Lightning Strike didn’t respond, but she didn’t immediately slash Ruby’s throat open either, and that was a good sign at least.
With a look at the motionless body of Stalwart Heart, Ruby added, "He will not come to harm… more harm. I give you my word of honor."
Lightning Strike snorted with disdain, but her posture became more relaxed regardless. Then she catapulted herself into the air with one powerful stroke of her wings and growled with frustration. "This isn’t over. Not by a long shot." the Pegasus snarled through clenched teeth. "Once we’re done with those things, the two of us are gonna have words. If I’m lucky, your word is as good as your self control, and you’ll end up doing something stupid."
Then she turned around and flew towards the other soldiers, after giving Ruby one more glare and her commander one more concerned look.
Ruby watched the Pegasus leave and sighed.
Well, this is going perfectly so far.
Then she walked over to the unconscious Stalwart Heart and lifted his limp body on her back so he would not have to lie in the snow on the frozen ground. He mumbled something unintelligible and his legs twitched when Ruby picked him up, but he was still out cold. Ruby also took the small trumpet the officer carried for quickly giving orders to his troops from a distance, and she hoped that she would be able to at least remember the most important signals if she had to.
Lightning Strike had reached her comrades in the blink of an eye. The entire ordeal between Ruby and Stalwart Heart had apparently gone unnoticed by the rest of the patrol, and Lightning Strike seemed to pass on her orders quickly and efficiently. The advance of the earth pony formation halted, and the pegasi and unicorn soldiers began to form groups. Moonbeam and his troops only had to shift slightly to the right in order to have a clear shot on the eastern hilltop, while Lightning Strike and her fellow pegasi stayed close to the ground and began to fly towards the other hill.
Ruby keep a careful eye on the trolls. Their reaction would be a pretty good indication whether or not her assessment of the situation had been correct. They seemed confused at first, and the hulking warriors stopped falling back as soon as the soldiers halted their pursuit. A few made half-hearted assaults on the formation, but were quickly repelled, and the earth pony soldiers stoically stood their ground despite the trolls’ provocation.
When the unicorns and pegasi split from the rest of the troops and shifted their attention towards the hills, the trolls’ confusion seemed to turn into frustrated anger. Some tossed poorly aimed chunks of rock and ice at the soldiers, other tried to provoke them with unintelligible shouts and vulgar gestures, but their attempts were ignored.
Ruby could not keep her lips from stretching into a fierce grin.
You don’t like that, do you? I knew you wouldn’t.
When the pegasi were just about to disappear behind the hill, one of the trolls lifted a massive, twisted horn to its lips. The creature’s thick chest swelled up, and then a long, deep howl that seemed to resonate within the deepest pits of Ruby’s stomach erupted from the crude instrument. Ruby could hazard a guess what the signal meant, and who it was meant for.
The sound of the horn lingered in the air for a several seconds after the breath in the troll's lungs was spent, and when it finally faded away, the wailing of the storm seemed a lot more quiet by comparison. Then a chorus of throaty war cries arose from the ranks of the troll warriors, and they threw themselves against the earth ponies' formation with reckless abandon. The spear wall did not waver, but with the support of their comrades gone and the trolls having abandoned any attempt at cunning in favor of their usual brutality, the earth ponies were hard pressed to fend their enemies off.
Ruby muttered a curse and subconsciously pawed at the ground. She hated staying at the back while others fought, but right now, the troops needed her guidance more than her strength. She had to keep an eye on the entire battlefield and react to any change, and she could not do that from amidst the chaos of the front lines.
The next few minutes would be crucial. The earth ponies had to hold out by themselves, and the trolls morale had peaked now that they were fighting in their preferred way. But the earth ponies only had to keep the trolls at bay until they realized that the other members of their warband would not come to support them. Then they would run – or at least Ruby hoped they would.
If they didn’t, ponies would die, and it would be her fault.
Ruby shook her head vehemently and tried to ignore the knot forming in her gut.
They will break. I know they will.
Suddenly, the shrieking and sizzling of magic projectiles filled the cold air, and Ruby looked towards the eastern hilltop. Trolls had begun to charge over it, and the unicorn soldiers had welcomed them with a devastating volley of arcane energy.
Ruby would say that the effect was much as if the trolls had stormed headfirst into a brick wall, except that a brick wall would not have stopped a battle-crazed group of frost trolls that effectively. Some were just staggered, but others were thrown to the ground, and some just froze in place and stared dumbfounded at the energy projectiles and the effect they had on their comrades. Ruby saw two trolls who were each hit by three or four projectiles at once, and got flung back over the hill as if they had been struck by the hoof of an angry goddess. The trolls behind them were thrown off their feet by their own comrades, so that more than half a dozen trolls were tossed back over the hilltop and disappeared in a cloud of powdery snow that had been whirled up by their fall.
It took several seconds before some of the trolls got their bearings and realized where the attack was coming from, and they immediately tried to charge the unicorns, while the other trolls were mostly still stunned with confusion. Those who attempted an attack didn’t get very far, because as soon as the unicorns noticed a troll making its way towards them, they hit it with a concentrated volley that tossed the creature back and threw it to the ground.
Ruby saw a troll that had just been hit by such a volley rise back to its feet and clutch its chest. The fur there had been singed black, and the troll’s knees seemed to be so wobbly that it had to use its maul as a crutch to steady itself. Ruby could not read the creature’s expression from this distance, but it seemed to stare intently at the unicorns who were still pouring a constant stream of arcane fire into the trolls’ ranks. When a stray projectile grazed the troll’s shoulder and almost threw it to the ground again, the brute finally had enough. It turned around and began to limp away, and a last bolt of energy hitting it in the rear sped up its departure considerably. Other trolls quickly followed suit, only a few at first, then small groups, and finally, the entire flanking party turned tail and fled in a headless panic.
Ruby cheered and stomped her hooves with excitement. Few ponies could match a troll head on, but all their strength and ferocity didn’t do them any good if you had a way to keep them at a distance. Relieved by this early success, Ruby shifted her attention towards the larger group of trolls that was still engaging the earth pony soldiers in the small valley between the hills, and her excitement grew even further.
The trolls reacted to the retreat of their fellows exactly as Ruby had hoped – with confusion and uncertainty. Their attack had lost most of its decisiveness, and many trolls were already starting to back away from the unflinching wall of spears, while others looked towards the western hill where their other reinforcements were supposed to show up.
The hilltop, however, remained clear of trolls, and only very faintly could the sound of battle be heard from behind the hill. Finally, the trolls stopped throwing themselves against the earth ponies’ line, and instead just eyed the soldiers wearily from a few steps away.
Now!
For a second, Ruby feared the Equestrian soldiers would miss their window of opportunity, but while she frantically tried to remember the complex system of trumpet sounds Equestrian officers used to quickly give orders to their troops, somepony within their ranks barked a command, and the earth ponies started to move against their enemy.
The trolls, still trying to figure out what they should do now, didn’t even try to resist the counterattack. At first, they were merely attempting to keep away from the soldiers’ spears as best they could, but it did not take long before some of them turned around and ran, and after that, it quickly became a hasty and unorganized retreat.
When it was clear that the warband had been well and truly put to flight and would not regroup, the Equestrian soldiers stopped their advance, and Ruby breathed a sigh of relief. She was about to sound the signal to tell Lightning Strike that she could lead her soldiers back to the main force, but before she lifted the trumpet to her lips, the pegasi already came flying over the western hilltop. Apparently they had been able to deal with the second flanking party by themselves, or the trolls there had seen their comrades run and decided to do the same. Either way, Lightning Strike and her soldiers seemed to have handled themselves admirably.
The tension began to fade from Ruby's mind and body, and was replaced by an exhilarating feeling of accomplishment and pride. The ambush had been dealt with, the trolls were on the run, and the Blackglacier Clan had been taught a lesson they would not soon forget. Her plan had worked.
Ruby smiled and raised her head high, but doing so made a heavy weight shift around on her back, and suddenly she was very acutely aware of the fact that she was still carrying the Equestrian officer she had beaten unconscious. The uneasiness that overcame her when she considered the possible repercussions was almost worse than what she had felt during the battle. Even so, Ruby was determined to face the consequences of her actions. She knew that when all was said and done, she had been justified in acting as she did.
A few of the pegasi seemed to have suffered minor injuries, and were holding themselves a bit unsteadily in the air, but Lightning Strike appeared to be unharmed as far as Ruby Chip could tell from this distant. The lieutenant landed next to the earth pony and unicorn soldiers, and was soon joined by two other officers from amongst their ranks.
Of course, Ruby could not hear anything that was spoken between the Equestrians, but she could imagine what was on Lightning Strike's mind now that the trolls had been dealt with. After only a few words from the lieutenant, the soldiers around her seemed to grow visibly agitated, and for the first time since the fight had begun, some of them turned around and paid attention to Ruby Chip and their commander.
About half a dozen earth ponies and unicorns broke from their ranks and began to gallop towards her, but they were quickly called back by Lightning Strike. The lieutenant took a minute to select ten of her soldiers, gave some quick instructions to the rest, and then started to approach Ruby at the head of her small company.
They moved in an orderly fashion, and none of them talked, but once they were close enough for Ruby to clearly see their faces, their expressions spoke volumes. When they reached Ruby, two pegasi landed behind her, while two earth ponies walked up to her, lifted the still unconscious Stalwart Heart off her back, and carried him away. Lightning Strike watched with a grim expression, and Ruby met her gaze without looking away.
They stared at each other for what must have been a full minute, before the lieutenant said, "It was a solid plan. Too bad you had to be stupid about it."
Ruby hoped that the embarrassment she felt wouldn’t be overly apparent, and for a second, she couldn’t help but lower her eyes. "I understand that you are angry. Things got out of hoof. But I couldn't just let you walk into that ambush. All I wanted to do was make sure that everypony gets back safely."
Lightning Strike let out a fierce snort. "And you think that is something he doesn't care about? You know nothing about the commander." The angry look on her face vanished as quickly as it had come, but the calm expression that replaced it was even more threatening in a way. "Just so we are clear: If you touch any of my comrades ever again, I will personally snap you in half. Is that understood?"
You could try.
Ruby chased the rash thought from her mind. She had no right to feel slighted by Lightning Strike's anger at the moment. The lieutenant was only doing her duty, as Ruby was convinced she herself had done. She forced herself to nod and remained silent.
Lightning Strike seemed satisfied with that. "Good. Now, let’s do this by the book, shall we?" She cleared her throat, and her voice turned official, "Dame Ruby Chip, for assaulting an officer of the Equestrian military, I hereby place you under arrest. In order to avoid diplomatic incidents, you will be released into the custody of Imperial officials as soon as possible. Until then, we will treat you as a prisoner of war. Silver Flare, cuff her."
On that command, a unicorn stallion with a bright gray coat and light blue mane stepped forward. In his telekinetic grip, he held a pair of steel manacles.
When Ruby saw them, she felt as if a thin layer of frost had suddenly formed on her skin, and her ears immediately flattened themselves against the side of her head. The stallion took another step towards her, and she could already feel the cold iron bands clamp down around her fetlocks like metal jaws.
She took a hasty step back, stumbling away from the chains as if they were venomous serpents lashing out at her. The soldier carrying them seemed alarmed by her reaction and stopped.
Ruby lowered her head and stared at the stallion with wide, panicked eyes. Her muscles were tense, and she was poised to strike, but her defensive posture was clumsy and rigid. At that moment, she was not acting in accordance with her training or her well-honed instincts. She was cowering like a cornered rat.
The soldiers around her moved. Ruby could hear the clanking of their armor. Someone spoke, "Seriously, don’t do that. There is no point. Even if I didn’t think you deserve this, I still have no choice. Don’t make this harder than it has to be."
Ruby heard the words. It might have been Lightning Strike speaking, but she paid no mind to it. It didn’t matter. Neither did the other soldiers around her. Right now, the world was nothing but a narrow, straight tunnel, with nothing in it except her and the stallion carrying those chains.
Several seconds filled with tense silence passed. Ruby stood still as a statue, fixing the stallion with her eyes. But the soldier didn't hesitate for long. The confusion on his face was quickly replaced by anger, and he continued to move in her direction. Ruby was just about to launch herself at him, when she saw him stop and turn his head to the side.
Ruby thought she could make out Lightning Strike's voice, "Please Silver, put those things away for a moment. I think there might be something I'm not aware of here."
Ruby followed the stallion with her eyes until he had retaken his position next to his comrades and had put the chains back in his saddlebags. Only then could she force herself to take her eyes off him and stand up straight, but every few seconds, she caught herself checking if he was still far enough away from her.
Ruby could not bring herself to make eye contact with Lightning Strike. Her cheeks were burning with shame, and she was certain that not even her coat could conceal it. To be seen like this, gripped by mindless terror and reduced to a covering heap, made Ruby feel so utterly humiliated it was almost unbearable.
Also, she would have to offer some sort of explanation now, and Ruby didn't like that either. She could not help but feel as if she was begging for sympathy by doing so.
"Lieutenant..." She stopped herself. Her voice was trembling, and she took a few deep breaths before she continued, "Lieutenant, I understand what you have to do. I will not resist, and I will cooperate with you however I can. I give you my word of honor. However, I also promise you something else."
Ruby lifted her right hoof and began to undo the straps holding her gauntlet in place, while Lightning Strike remained silent and waited patiently for Ruby to remove the piece of armor covering the lower part of her leg. Beneath the metal and the thick padding, Ruby's fur was sweaty and tousled, but it still caught the light like polished crystal and shone in a vivid hue of brilliant red.
However, just above her hoof, there was a naked patch of pale, rough scar tissue, encircling Ruby's fetlock like a macabre bracelet. It was not the kind of scar a single injury would cause, but rather an accumulation of ugly lumps and deep crevices, left behind by constant abrasions that had healed partially and poorly, only to be immediately torn open again.
"You will not be putting chains on me. If you try, there will be a fight." Ruby tried her best to sound commanding and resolute, but she didn't know how well she managed it. The truth was that she was simply scared.
Lightning Strike's expression betrayed nothing while she was looking at Ruby's scar. Finally, she sighed and shook her head. "All right. No chains then."
There was pity in her voice. Hearing it struck Ruby like a lash.
* * *
Lightning Strike had insisted that Ruby should be escorted back to the Crystal City without delay. She was probably keen to send the knight off before Stalwart Heart could fully regain his wits and complicate the situation even further, and within an hour, Ruby had left with a small guard detail of fourteen Equestrian soldiers. The trip back was uneventful, and since nopony really felt like talking, they keep a dour silence for almost the entire length of it. But despite the uncomfortable atmosphere, Ruby dreaded the end of the journey. Because she knew the once it was over, the real hassle would begin.
She was not wrong, as complications started as soon as they reached the city. The Equestrian soldiers, no doubt eager to rid themselves of the troublesome knight as soon as possible, tried to turn Ruby over to the city guards at the gate.
But the guards refused. At first, they simply didn't understand what the soldiers were asking them to do. After the situation was explained to them, they reacted with anger, and made it clear that they would not treat a member of the Crystal Lance like a prisoner. In response, the Equestrian soldiers made it equally clear that they would not release Ruby into the guards' custody unless they would agree to follow proper protocol.
The argument grew more and more heated, until Ruby stepped in and resorted to more or less ordering her own arrest in an effort to resolve the matter peacefully. It was obvious that neither side was very happy with that solution, but they accepted it, and Ruby was finally led to the Crystal Castle by a group of very reluctant and apologetic guardsponies, who were visibly relieved when they finally got the opportunity to surrender their 'prisoner' to other members of the Lance.
As one would expect, the other members of the Order were shocked when they heard what had happened, but even they were uncertain how to deal with the situation. It was clear that the prince and princess would have to work out the diplomatic repercussions, and eventually decide on an appropriate punishment for Ruby's crime. But nopony really knew how Ruby should be treated until then.
It was briefly suggested that she should be put into a dungeon cell, but Emerald Breeze and Malachite were very outspoken against that idea, and most of the other members were not in favor of it either. Finally, it was decided that a strict confinement to her quarters would be the best solution for the time being. Ruby spent the next seven days in her room, waiting for the day when the prince and princess would pass judgement. Emerald Breeze brought Ruby’s meals, and always took a little time to speak with her, even though Ruby assumed that she was not supposed to do that.
From her brief conversations with Emerald, Ruby learned that Shining Armor had his hooves full trying to mediate between the troops from Equestria and the Empire. Among the Imperial knights and soldiers, the story was that Ruby Chip had taken command of the ambushed patrol and valiantly snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, and that afterwards, the Equestrian officer had ordered her arrest to mask his own incompetence. Equestrian soldiers insisted that an Imperial knight had assaulted commander Stalwart Heart over a minor argument, and then attempted to issue a few orders during a small skirmish that had been almost over at that point. There was a lot of tension between the nations' armies at the moment, and any form of cooperation between them had become well-nigh impossible.
Those reports did not do much to make Ruby feel more confident about her impending hearing before the royal couple. Still, when Emerald and Frost Grape came during the early hours of the eighth day to escort Ruby to the royal quarters, she tried her best to look stoic and unconcerned. Of course, Emerald wasn't fooled by the brave face her friend was trying to put on, and when they arrived at the small council chamber, she gave Ruby a quick grin and a reassuring nudge on the shoulder. Then she sat down next to the door, ignoring the disapproving look from Frost Grape.
"They will see you now," the stallion said tersely and nodded towards the door.
Ruby took a deep breath and stepped through it. The small council chamber was a plain circular room, unfurnished except for the round table at its center. At that table, on the side opposite to Ruby when she entered, sat Shining Armor and Cadance. The princess' face was solemn, but she flashed Ruby a brief smile nonetheless. Shining Armor, however did nothing of the sort. His eyes were fixed on Ruby, and his expression was unreadable. None of them spoke.
Ruby heard the door close behind her and stood still, unsure of what to do. Shining Armor's look made her feel uncomfortable, especially since she wasn't wearing her armor. She always felt a little exposed without it, and right now, she would have been very grateful for the reassurance the heavy steel provided her with. At least she had been able to put on some plain high boots and a shawl. Even after years of living with them, she still couldn't bring herself to leave her private quarters without first hiding the scars that encircled her neck and fetlocks.
After what seemed like an eternity, Shining Armor pointed at the side of the table farthest from him and his wife. "Sit." Ruby did, and the prince continued, "Now Ruby, I want you to tell me in your own words what exactly happened on that patrol." He spoke calmly, but Ruby could see how tense he was, and the bags below his eyes showed that he probably hadn't slept very well the last few days.
Ruby had spent a lot of time thinking about how she should present her case, but now that it was her time to speak, the detailed report and all the carefully worded justifications she had prepared in her head were simply gone.
For a few seconds, she just sat there, silently opening and closing her mouth like a fish, until she finally managed to string a few sentences together, "Your Majesty, I knew what we were up against. I knew what the trolls were planning, and what we could do to prevent it. I had to act fast, or their trap would have been sprung."
"And would you mind explaining to me how knocking Stalwart's lights out improved the situation?" Shining Armor did not increase the volume of his voice, but the tone of calm authority had given way to anger, and a deep frown had formed on his forehead.
The mention of the officer's name made Ruby's temper flare. "He had no right..." She quickly stopped herself and fell silent, startled by the volume of her own voice. Through clenched teeth, she continued, "He was being stubborn. He just wouldn't listen to me, even though I told him that he was marching his troops right into an ambush. I admit that things got out of hoof. I should not have reacted the way I did, but I wasn't about to sit back and watch those ponies get butchered!"
Shining Armor shook his head and groaned in frustration. "Ruby, just yesterday I spoke with Stalwart Heart. He doesn't deny that he got in an argument with you, but do you even realize what you did to set him off like that? You gave orders to his subordinates, without waiting for his approval. What did you expect to happen?"
"I had a strategy that I knew was going to work, and time was short. I could not wait for him to make up his mind," Ruby said defensively.
Shining Armor rose, braced his front hooves on the table and glared down at her. "That's not how things work in the Equestrian military Ruby! You can't just take charge because you are a knight, or even a member of the Lance. A proper army needs a clear chain of command. If there is any uncertainty about who is in charge, that means chaos, and in a fight, chaos gets ponies killed! Stalwart Heart knows that. He was perfectly justified to rebuke you like he did."
"So I should have let him send those soldiers to their deaths, just so he wouldn't have to admit he was wrong?" Ruby asked sharply.
"No, what you should have done is follow the orders you were given," said the prince. "Provide insight. Offer advice. And most importantly, trust that our allies will make good use of both. If you could have controlled yourself just a little longer, Stalwart Heart would have shown you that he isn't nearly as incompetent as you claim he is."
The anger that had provided Ruby with her sudden burst of confidence was once again replaced by uncertainty, and her voice became a lot more hesitant when she asked, "What do you mean by that your Majesty?"
Shining Armor sighed, and he sounded more tired than furious now, "I mean that he probably would have listened to you Ruby. When I spoke with him, he said that your plan was risky, but within reason. He thought that it was probably the best way to end the fight as quickly as possible, but then you tried to force the issue before he issued his commands, and he could not let you undermine his authority like that." The prince shook his head. "Let me be clear Ruby: What you did is inexcusable, no matter what happened between you before. But if you had just controlled yourself for a few more seconds, I wouldn't have to deal with this mess now."
Ruby didn't know what to say. An uncomfortable silence filled the room for what seemed like hours, before she meekly asked, "How bad is it?"
This time, Princess Cadance was the one to speak, "There won't be any lasting damage to our diplomatic relations with Equestria, if that's what you are concerned about. But the troops are not taking the situation well at the moment. We hope that in a few weeks, the worst of it will be over, but right now, we have to keep the Equestrians and our own soldiers and knights as far away from each other as we can. We have to completely rework our patrol schedules, and it is putting a serious strain on our resources."
"Which takes us to the next point," Shining Armor said. "There have to be consequences for what you did Ruby. I'm pretty sure that goes without saying, but aside from the obvious reason, it will also help calm things down if the soldiers see that you have been disciplined." He closed his eyes and raised a hoof to rub his temple. "Unfortunately, the situation is more complex than I'd like. If you were a soldier in the Equestrian military, I would know exactly how to deal with this. But you're not. Under normal circumstances, assaulting your commanding officer would be worth a dishonorable discharge..."
Ruby felt as if the ground had suddenly opened up beneath her hooves to pull her into a dark pit. "No!" she interrupted, "I beg you! Not that! Please, don't do that to me!"
"Calm yourself Ruby," Princess Cadance said gently. "You won't lose your place in the Lance over this. But members of the Order were never above the law, and you will have to face the consequences of your actions."
Shining Armor nodded. "So unless you have anything else to add that might change the situation, we will now tell you what your punishment is going to be."
Ruby swallowed heavily and bowed her head. "I have nothing to add your Majesty."
"In that case, the sentence is as follows," Shining Armor said. "For the next three weeks, you will be confined to your quarters. After that, you will be restricted to guard duty within the Crystal City for two months, and you will perform those duties as part of an Equestrian platoon, under the command of an Equestrian officer." Ruby's head snapped back up and she opened her mouth, but Shining Armor cut her off with a swift hoofgesture. "I don't want to hear any back talk from you Ruby. For two months, you will serve as an Equestrian soldier. You will follow orders, you will observe proper protocol, and hopefully, it will teach you a thing or two about military discipline. If I hear any complaints about you, I won't hesitate to prolong your sentence until I think that you've learned your lesson."
Ruby lowered her head and stared at the tabletop. The thought of remaining cooped up in the city for more than two months was bad enough, but serving as a lowly soldier under the command of somepony who was neither a knight nor a member of the Imperial army made the ordeal even worse.
Regardless, Ruby knew that she was already on thin ice, so she simply nodded. "As you command, your Majesty."
"Good," Shining Armor said. "Then I would like to add something a little less official." He walked around the table and sat down next to Ruby. Cadance followed and took a seat at the side of her husband. "You might think I'm picking on you Ruby, but I honestly believe that this will do you some good." His tone was not as formal as it had been before, and Ruby lifted her head to look at him. "I was an officer before I was a prince Ruby. Not to brag, but I think I wasn't half bad at it, and part of being a capable commander is having an eye for talent." He was looking at Ruby very attentively now. "I'd like to ask you something. How did you come up with that strategy? You made good use of the pegasi and unicorn troops, but there are very few of either among crystal ponies. I wasn't aware that mixed unit tactics were even taught in the Imperial military."
Ruby had a feeling that Shining Armor was not merely trying to satisfy his curiosity. "They aren't," she said after a few moments of hesitation. "As you said, there aren't enough pegasi or unicorns among us to justify it. But when I learned that I would be serving with Equestrian soldiers, I figured it would be a good idea to do some research on their strengths and capabilities."
Of course, at the time I thought that I would be getting my own command.
Ruby shrugged. "The city library has a few volumes on Equestrian military strategy. They're hopelessly outdated of course, but they taught me the basics well enough."
For the fraction of a second, Ruby thought she saw the hint of a smile tug at the corners of Shining Armor's mouth. "Really?" he said. "Well, I'll see to it that the library is restocked with more recent editions. It's always good to be prepared." He seemed to ponder for a moment before he continued, "Ruby, did you know that you were recommended for the rank of knight commander before you joined the Lance?"
That surprised Ruby. She just stared at Shining Armor for several seconds, before she managed to respond, "I... no, I didn't know that. I commanded small units and scouting parties on occasion, but I didn't know that I made such an impression." She straightened up and smiled. "I suppose I was initiated into the Order before the recommendation could be approved then?"
"You were rejected Ruby," Shining Armor said bluntly. "Months before you earned your recommendation for the Lance."
Ruby's smile disappeared, and her eyes grew wide.
The prince kept watching her closely and continued, "You were evaluated for several weeks. The final verdict was that you have excellent battlefield awareness, as well as a quick and capable mind when it comes to tactical decisions. But you were also found to be way too brash and hotheaded, and the final decision was that you were not ready for your own command." He leaned forward, and asked with a stern voice, "Now Ruby. After what happened with Stalwart Heart, do you think that evaluation was wrong?"
Ruby was grinding her teeth and looked at the ground. She could not think of anything to say.
"That's what I thought." Shining Armor said. "You are lucky that the ability to command is not a strict necessity for members of the Lance, otherwise those shortcomings might have prevented you from joining the Order as well."
For Ruby, the last sentence felt like a punch in the gut, and by now she was clenching her teeth so hard that she feared her gums might start to bleed.
Shining Armor put a hoof under her chin and gently made her raise her head to look him in the eye. “Now listen carefully, Ruby. If you take anything away from this conversation, let it be this: With some work, you could be a good commander. Maybe even a great one. You obviously have the mind for it. But you can't control the battlefield if you can't even control yourself, and to give orders, you also have to know how to follow them. Try to see the coming months not as punishment, but as an opportunity to improve and learn."
It was all Ruby could do not to laugh bitterly. The words of the prince sounded like mockery to her. How was she supposed to improve while she was stuck in her quarters or performing guard duty under the command of some Equestrian officer, instead of defending the Empire and being an example to her citizens like she was supposed to?
"I will do what I can," Ruby said. She did not expect it to be much.
Shining Armor, however, seemed to be satisfied with her answer. "Glad to hear it," he said with a smile.
"Now go to your quarters and pack a few things. There is one last assignment we have for you before your confinement begins."
Ruby's ears perked up. Maybe she would get at least one more worthy task before being condemned to near uselessness for the next months. "Where am I going? What would you have me do?"
Instead of Shining Armor, it was Princess Cadance who answered, "You will accompany me on a diplomatic mission Ruby. This attack on our patrol was a provocation that we cannot simply ignore, and if we want to keep the peace between the Empire and the clans of the Frozen Plains, we have to enter negotiations with the ones responsible, before the situation can get out of hoof. Word among the clans is that it was your doing that the attack on the patrol failed, so your presence should add some..." She spent a few brief moments searching for a fitting term. "Let's call it persuasive force. Tomorrow, we travel to the home of the Blackglacier Clan."