“I have five gunships and thirteen sloops of war. That should be enough of a distraction.”
It was strange seeing Morning Breeze like this. Wearing a clean blue suit with a dark blue bow around his neck, he had the aloofness of somepony of great importance. He existed above all others, and needed no crown or scepter. He did not even speak directly to the assembled parties, and even though Gingersnap knew that it was out of necessity he could not help feel uncomfortable distanced from him. Hornpipe lent his voice, and though he stood so much taller than Morning Breeze and spoke with the conviction of a great leader no hypothetical uninformed pony who happened to wander into that meeting would have mistaken him for the Emperor.
The stone and mortar city hall was two blocks uphill of the inn. Its main chamber was furnished with sixty wide wooden desks covered in ink blotches. Large windows on one side offered a view of the harbor; it seemed every building in Icewall had a window of that sort. There were only a few dozen present at the meeting, and it was easy to recognize who’s who. There was a captain and at least one officer for each ship, all in distinctive uniforms ranging from drab jackets to costumes that bordered on theatrical. Alice was there, and Gingersnap could not help glancing at her from time to time. Workers from the dock were also present, some still wearing greasy coveralls. This last group made him feel less out of place in the meeting.
“Where do we fit in?”
Gingersnap elbowed Coral Frond before he could say anything else. Snowsong and Winter Oat were still focused on the maps and notes on the corkboard.
“Your ship will be our troop carrier,” Hornpipe said while Morning Breeze looked on stoically. “The Spectre will be fully repaired by tomorrow morning. The Snow Queen can’t be harmed with light cannons, and there are shelters on deck that can protect her crew from mortar attacks. We can pin them down with artillery, but we can’t cull their numbers significantly. Yellow Jack has about eight hundred marines and over a hundred sailors. That’s not enough to sustain a ship as big as the Snow Queen, but they’ll put up a good fight. And even though they don’t have super heavy cannons, they set off with plenty of small arms and more than enough regular cannons to sink any ship that tries to approach. Their griffins will be sniping from the masts too. Only the Spectre can get close enough to deliver a sizable boarding party.
“It will take five to twelve hours to intercept the Snow Queen from here. The winds can’t be counted upon this time of year. I want the Spectre to carry at least two hundred marines.
“Captain Winter Oat, I want you to stay here until we return. Give me enough crew to run your ship. The rest of you should stay out of harm’s way.”
All eyes turned to the Winter Oat in his wheelchair. His head was lolling to the side. He scanned the room with only his eyes moving.
“You’re in charge, Snowsong,” he said, and snorted in defeat. “I don’t know why I’m here. Excuse me.”
Morning Breeze nodded. The two nurses escorted Winter Oat out of the room, one pushing the wheelchair and the other wheeling his oxygen tank. He would be well enough to walk in a week or two, but Gingersnap still worried for him. He knew that it was none of his business, but of all the captains he had served with he liked Winter Oat the best.
“It’s decided then,” Hornpipe said. “Snowsong, pick out your best sailors. Leave the rest here. The fleet assembles at 0400.”
#
There was no real prison in Icewall. The best they could do for the mercenaries was empty out a warehouse on the boardwalk and post lots of guards. They had been constantly tranquilized ever since their arrival, and had received nothing except some water. Even unconscious they were each chained to two large anchors.
Morning Breeze had his dinner of oats and fried tubers by lantern light as he waited for the prisoners to come to. A dozen griffins surrounded them with long rifles drawn and ready in addition to the usual guards.
I can shoot them all right now.
He downed a full glass of sweet raspberry wine to silence that voice.
Not this time. They get one more chance. Just this once.
When the first prisoner stirred one of the guards doused him with a bucket of cold seawater. Even then he looked up reluctantly, devoid of strength after nearly a week of fasting.
“Hello again,” Morning Breeze said as he refilled his glass. He intended to talk quite a bit. “Now I know you’ve had a rough few days, and I’ll have you know that I don’t care. I’m offering you a job, and if you do it I’ll let you go. Otherwise these griffins will skewer you to death. Too many wasted bullets otherwise."
He paused for a moment and downed the entire glass. “I was a Prince once. You remember, right?”
He nodded slowly, indignant yet terrified.
“You know what I did, or you’ve heard the rumors at least. It was all true. I was as bloodthirsty and merciless as they say, and I haven’t mellowed with age. You’re on my turf now. Don’t think that there’s anything I can’t do.”
The prisoner did not speak. His teeth were clenched tightly. He squeezed his eyes shut, but tears flowed from the corners. Morning Breeze looked away, embarrassed for his sake.
The others were starting to wake. He waited until they were all lucid before repeating his offer.
“I want you to fight for me. Do my biddings, follow orders from my captains, and do it without question. You’ll be common marines, but no less than that. Once your work for me is done, I’ll send you back to Equestria.”
The silence that followed was not complete; there was some sniffling and low growling. They were not pleased, exactly as he expected.
“We’ll never work for you!” Shouted one of the unicorns. But all the others looked to Morning Breeze with expressions of terror.
Seeing the imperious sneer on that face, Morning Breeze felt a hot wave of anger flush through his veins. He could have done anything at that moment. No one would have stopped him. He could order any kind of torture, or deliver it personally. He wanted to yell at him, to rip out his mane and file down his teeth, and he had the power to do it. They would have done the same to him; had already done it, and for lesser transgressions.
I’m better than that.
“Shoot that one,” Morning Breeze said, flicking one hoof at the defiant one.
He did not look away, and forced himself not to flinch when the rifle sounded. He forced himself to wear a stone-cold face as the unicorn’s mouth gaped in realization. There was no time to beg for mercy. The screaming of the remaining prisoners were lost to him as his ears rang on and on. He only hoped the ponies at the inn wouldn’t hear the shot.
#
Gingersnap yawned and knocked on the door. He could still taste sweet potatoes and rosemary in his mouth, and would much rather be enjoying his hay-stuffed bed at that moment. Half a dozen of his fellow sailors stood just behind him, all of them staring at the door uneasily. It was past eight, and Coral Frond was still pacing loudly around his room.
“What’s wrong?” Gingersnap asked as soon as Coral Frond answered.
Coral Frond’s eyes narrowed as he looked over the other faces.
“We can all hear you,” Gingersnap said. “Do you want me to come inside?”
The unicorn stepped back and opened the door fully. Gingersnap waved for the others to leave before entering.
The room was furnished exactly like his with two bedside tables, a bed big enough for two and a vanity. The window was open, and a gently current rustled the pages of Coral Frond's book of spells, not quite strong enough to flip one over. On the floor was arranged a ring of eight candle stubs, probably taken from the housekeeper’s bin. In the middle was a broken quill.
“What’s the matter?” Gingersnap asked.
“I’ve been practicing,” Coral Frond said, sitting down on the edge of his bed. “Teaching myself. I want to help however I can.”
“You’re a marine, aren’t you?” Gingersnap pointed out. “I thought there was a shortage of experienced fighters.”
“Morning Breeze wants me to stay behind,” Coral Frond said. “He has better marines probably. Of course he does! I’m nothing special. But I can be useful. I can help. I know I can.”
“What’s the circle for?” Gingersnap asked, waving to the candles on the floor.
“It’s a spell,” he said, blushing slightly. “It’s supposed to build an entire bird out of a feather.”
“Right,” Gingersnap said slowly, taking a few sidesteps away from the circle. He joined Coral Frond on the bed. “Listen to me, Coral Frond. It’s a good thing that he’s not taking you to the Snow Queen. He’s trying to keep you safe; keep us safe. You’re only in it for the money, aren’t you? Well, for once they’re letting us off the hook. I’ve served some brutal masters and lived through some bloody battles. I’ve had to abandon ship a few times, and I’ve been nearly drowned. Morning Breeze didn’t leave us out because we’re no good. He’s leaving us here because he actually cares what happens to us. He’s a good pony, just as book-learned as our officers but more experienced than most of them. He’s not padding his numbers to make himself look impressive. I think tomorrow will be a terrible day out there, and I’d rather not see it with my own eyes.”
Coral Frond continued to frown at the circle on the floor for some time. Gingersnap could only wonder at what his friend was thinking. He almost smiled when it crossed his mind that he might simply be trying to light the candles.
He’s never fought a real battle his whole life, was all he could think. Nopony wants to go into battle just like that. Not after the first time.
“It’s getting late,” Gingersnap said as the twilight faded and night set in around them. “Coral Frond, get some rest while you can. It’s not every day you get a room all to yourself. Not even every year for us. This here might be the best bed you’ll ever get.”
Coral Frond smiled thoughtfully. Not a truly happy smile, but it eased his heart somewhat. They hugged, and Gingersnap got up. The last thing he saw as he closed the door was Coral Frond putting the candles away.