Chapter 6: Battle Drums
The apparently non existing Green Knight was the last what Dinky had seen before everything went black.
She couldn’t move, everything was numb and there was nothing but blackness.
Then slowly but steady, feeling returned to her body.
With a quiet groan, her eyes opened, slowly getting up.
I’m alive? Looking around, she was in a tent with her two friends in cots next to her. They were breathing to her relief, as their chests slowly rose and lowered, their gear on a table beside them.
Katja and Blau Streifen stirred, regaining consciousness. “Where I am?” The colt asked a little bit disoriented.
“You’re okay!” Dinky cried out happy.
“I guess so. Where are we?” Katja asked as she got up.
The flap of the tent opened, revealing a man wearing a pith helmet, rolled up sleeves and shorts, with dark brown hair, hazel eyes and a broad face, appearing to be in his late forties.
“Ah, you’re awake. We found you very dehydrated in a cave, a minute later and it had been too late.” The kids noticed that he had a Trottingham accent, Equestria’s equivalent to England.
“Where are we? And who are you?” Dinky asked him curious.
You’re at El Alamein at our base. We were on our way here when we found you. Oh, how rude from me, my name Hill. William Bucknell Hill, at your service.” He introduced himself, his middle name caused Dinky to gasp, Blau Streifen to giggle and Katja to cover her ears.
“What did I say?” William asked with confusion.
“That's a really bad word!” Dinky exclaimed.
“What is?” The Brit was still confused.
The unicorn looked around, then mumbled, “The B-Word.”
“What, Bucknell?”
The young colt giggled again.
“Well...the first half, yeah.” Dinky replied, a bit embarrassed about it.
“...I see...What does it mean?” The man asked curious.
Um...I don't really know but we're never allowed to say it. I heard Sparkler yell it out a lot trying to open that jar of peanut-butter...And she also once said my parents do it a lot. That was when mommy whacked her in the face with a pillow.” The filly giggled.
Slowly, William got what the word meant.
“...Ah... I know what you mean, but that’s how I got named, you can’t change that. Also, I have never seen someone like you before in my life. So, what are your names and where are you from, if you don’t mind?”
Dinky spoke for them. “I’m Dinky and those are my friends Katja and Blau Streifen. As for where we are from and how we got here, it’s a long story.”
William listened with great interest as the kids told their story.
After they were done, he was fascinated. “Well...If this doesn't make the Observer, nothing will...Oh well, I'll take your word for it. Anyway, I’m sorry to hear what happened to you, children. I allowed myself to refill your canteens as they were almost empty.”
The children checked their canteens, William was true to his words, they were refilled. Happy about it, the three took a big sip. “Thank you. How long were we unconscious?” Dinky asked.
“A few days. Come, I’ll show you around.” Hill opened the flap, the kids looked at each other, nodding. they could tell that William was honest.
Once outside, the kids were greeted with the sight of busy troops, soldiers preparing defenses, officers giving out orders, trucks driving around. There were also soldiers that looked different from the British soldiers, also wearing tan uniforms.
“Who are those?” Dinky asked William.
“Those men are soldiers of Free France. After the defeat in France, we evacuated some French soldiers along with our own. After they arrived in London they continued to fight along us against Germany to free their country. Like us, they fight with determination.” Hill explained.
A younger soldier with brown hair with matching eyes joined William, saluting. “Sir, reporting, the preparation of the defenses is going well.”
“Good.” William turned to the kids. “This is Peter Cutting, my second-in-command: sterling, tough, dependable, honest, brave and true.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
With a chuckle, the Captain replied, “Come now, Lieutenant, you know I don't mean a word of it. Peter, those are Dinky, Katja and Blau Streifen.”
Cutting smiled warmly. “Pleasure to meet you all.”
“Likewise.” They replied. The three friends took notice that William had what appeared to be a SMG on his back, it seemed to be the same the intruder at Tobruk was wearing on his back. His sidearm had a drum in the middle, a revolver, if their memories were right from human history lessons.
“If you don’t mind us asking, Mr. Hill, What were you before the war?” Katja asked.
“Before the war, I used to be a diplomat, traveling around, mostly in commonwealth territory and Africa, so I’m used to the heat here and multilingual. My sidearm is the Webley Mk. VI, I used it during my time as diplomat for self-defense and was the standard sidearm in the Great War.
The British army still uses revolvers for a few reasons. First, the Webley and Enfield revolvers were known for their popularity and indestructibility and second, we have a deeply rooted tradition to revolvers. The Webley has high recoil, but as I’m experienced, I can handle it.
My and Cutting’s primary weapon is the Sten gun, our standard SMG. When we were defeated in France in 1940, we had to reckon an invasion of Britain, having high material losses at Dunkirk in the retreat. An effective yet cheap fully automatic weapon was what we needed. That was the birth of the Sten Gun, cheap and easy to make, yet an effective weapon in battle.”
William stopped, seeing how a fellow soldier armed with a rifle smoked near some fuel canisters. “Duffy, fuel, and are you smoking a bloody cigarette, you pillock?!” William called out, Duffy quickly put his cigarette out.
“No, sir!” He replied, startled.
“Good. Now back to your post.” The private obeyed.
“That's Douglas 'Duffy' Price. Pleasant chap but about as dim as a visually-impaired sloth. He is using our standard issue rifle, the Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk. I it was also our standard rifle in the Great War, a reliable rifle. Though I'm surprised he hasn't shot himself in the foot with it yet.”
“Sounds like you’re well equipped.” Blau Streifen commented, before the sound of and engine and tracks entered his ears. The kids turned around, seeing a British Tank driving through, looking similar to the Panzer III and IV.
“That is the A15 Crusader, our main tank in Africa, very mobile but weak armor and can only be equipped with a 40mm cannon, it won’t do much in combat but Italian talks can still be engaged effectively. Plus they often suffer technical problems. And the lack of high-explosive shells makes it difficult to destroy enemy anti-tank guns. But they’re better than nothing.”
“Shouldn’t they have those shells by standard?” Blau Streifen asked, finding it strange.
“As far as I know, the Crusaders are not supplied with it.” Hill replied, knowing it as he asked one men of the supply convoy’s once about it.
Another sound of a tank engine sounded in the ears of the children.
Dinky saw a big brown tank, completely different from the German ones. The tank stopped abruptly, struggled to move again, then drove a few meters before stopping again. The soldier talked with the driver, a fuel truck next to them.
“But hello, if it isn't it my old pal!”
“Exactly, but I have a tight schedule.” The tank driver replied.
“No time to talk?”
“No, but can you fill my queen?”
"Of course, nice name for a matilda.” The truck driver liked it.
“Indeed, Can take a lot but drinks more diesel then I drink tea!” his friend replied.
“Without diesel, nothing runs. Same as tea, really. And those bloody eighty-eight blow the turrets off like butter.”
“A rather unpleasant experience.” The tank driver didn’t want to imagine it.
“Sorry, old chap. Here’s your diesel. Good luck!” He refueled the Matilda tank.
“As you could hear, this is the Matilda, as it’s best known, it’s actual name is Infantry Tank Mark II. With its 78mm thick armor, it was largely immune, but not impervious to German tanks and anti-tank guns back in France but also very slow. Armed with a 40mm gun, it was comparable to the German tanks at the time, the 88 mm anti-aircraft guns were the only effective counter-measure.
Here it could easily defeat the Italian tanks, dominating the battlefield, earning the name ‘Queen of the Desert’. But like the Crusader, we lack High-explosive shells for it. Plus when the Germans arrived with new and more powerful tanks, the Matilda became less effective. But if you need heavy cover, the Matilda can be your best friend.” The Captain explained.
“Good to know.” Dinky commented.
“And Matilda is a nice name.” Blau Streifen added.
“Say, have you a family?” Hs sister asked the former diplomat.
“Of course, I’m married and father of a boy. I still remember, when we got beaten in France, he had nightmares about Germany invading England. I suffered the same nightmares, one was how London had fallen and one last radio transmission came out. ‘Not with bombs, not with guns, not with tanks, not with a thousand years of tyranny will the spirit of England be broken. We will fight to the last-‘
Then it cut off. The second dream was a victory speech of Germany, I can remember one certain part of it as it was yesterday. ‘It shall be an age of order and disciple. Germany has assumed her rightful place on top the world.’”
Dinky trembled. “Sounds scary.”
“Yes it was. Then, there was the battle of Britain. It was like...watching a football match but knowing that if your team lost, you'd be next. It would be impressive if it wasn't so frightening, knowing death was in the skies, watching it flying over your homes and families, and knowing the only things that could stop them were careening around the clouds, trailing smoke. I don't think I've ever held my breath so long in my life. During the battle, I saw something very impressive, something I will never forget.” He spoke with a mix of fear and awe.
“What was it?” The colt asked, eager to hear it.
“Well, the Germans used their dive bombers, the Junkers Ju 87, also called Stuka. It’s famous for its wailing sirens when diving. During this battle, many got shot down by our fighters, as the Stukas were slow and vulnerable without escort. Some of our pilots said the Stukas were sitting ducks or that they were easier to hit than a barn door, that it was like shooting rats in a barrel. But…there was one Stuka pilot that managed to shoot one of our planes down, by doing a looping to get behind it. I don’t know if this pilot was an ace or if it was just luck but…this pilot got my respect for achieving that.”
“That sounds really impressive.” The young colt was impressed by that. “I’m sure that was not easy.”
“Definitely. After we won the battle, Germany started to bomb civilians. The Blitz, we called it...It means lightning...Night after night of it...Nights of lightning...Nights of horror. Waking up at night, hearing the sirens, the explosions, what I will never forgot was how scared my son was, afraid to die, afraid of losing his parents. Fortunately, we survived and he got sent away to the countryside for his safety.” Eventually, the Germans stopped as they focused on invading the Soviet Union. But the memory of the killed people and destroyed houses will never leave me.”
“A horrible sight, I can imagine, sorry to hear that Mr. Hill. My father told me, I should not look back into the past but in the future.” The young unicorn felt sorry for him, her friends too.
“I see your parents raised you well. And William is just fine.” He stroked her mane.
“First name basis is fine by me, William. But at least you have friends you can count on.”
“Make no mistake. We're all that's left. France and Poland and all the rest, they keep fighting in the shadows and God bless them all. But Britain's the last great land about that remains truly free, fighting in the sun for all to see. No matter how many bombs they drop on us or many poisons they put in our water or how many ships they wall us in our own seas with...we cannot give in. If the Swastika flies above the Union Jack...The world will know that age they dread has come at last...and may never end. If Hitler has a continent to call his own, he'll have it till his dying days as will those that come after him. We can't let that happen.” The soldier had a hint of determination in his voice.
“Sorry to interrupt, Captain, but we got visitors!” Peter interrupted, noticing a black limousine escorted by two trucks transporting soldiers.
“Wait here.” William assembled with his comrades as the car came to a stop, the children wondered if this was a high ranking person, yet it couldn’t be a military officer, as it was a civilian car, not a military one.
Cutting opened the door, an elderly man, visible by his white hair and with brown eyes, stepped out.
“Welcome, Prime Minister Churchill. What brings us the honor of your visit?” Hill greeted him, honored, yet nervous.
“Thank you, Captain. I’m here to inspect the defenses as well to keep morale high.”
“Of course, sir. Let me show you around.” William together with Cutting, led the Prime Minister around, showing the defenses.
Barbed wire, MG nests, anti-tank positions and trenches, all organized into several defense lines.
All Allied soldiers knew: This was the last line of defense between their oil and the Suez canal, they had to stop the Axis forces here, or everything would be lost.
“You did well, Captain.” Churchill praised Hill before turning to the other soldiers, who waited in formation.
“Soldiers of Britain. You stand assembled here, gathered from every corner of our great nation. Some of you grew up in the streets of London or the villages of York, on the moors of Scotland or the valleys of Wales or the fens of Ireland. Some of you were rich, some of you were poor, some of you were educated, some of you can barely read. Yet look at you now! Brothers in arms, social boundaries put aside in an instant as we stand united against the foe that dares bombard our lands and slaughter our people! That sirs, is a sight that makes an old buffer like me, proud to call himself a man of Britain! Wouldn't you agree?!”
The men cheered.
“Now in times of peace, nothing so befits a man as the gentle charity and tranquility of the Lamb of God that once graced England's pleasant pastures. But in times of war, we must emulate the spirit of the lion! The mighty beast that marks our royal arms with fang and claw! We stand, lions in heart and spirit! And like the lion, we must defend our pride, our majesty and all those we hold dear from the scavenger! There, soldiers of Britain.” He pointed into the desert. “Out there stands the scavenger!
We know what sort of men they are. We know who leads them. They call him the Desert Fox...Hah! As if that struck terror into the heart of a British Soldier. Tell me, soldiers of Britain, by what means does the fox prevail against the lion?!”
The soldiers cheered again, louder than they did at the first time.
“These men believe we will simply bend over and let the product of the heresies that Hitler calls 'The New Order' have their way with us! We will teach them the error of their ignorance by whatever means necessary! Prove to them that the lion rules the desert, the green, the empire, unchallenged!”
Again the soldiers cheered loudly before manning their positions, in case the enemy would attack sooner than expected, intel could always be wrong.
“Into the battle with you, brave lads one and all! Any man who returns with a full magazine is no worthy soldier! To arms, Soldiers of Britain, to arms and victory!” Churchill exclaimed with pride.
“Before I forget, I heard reports about a ‘Green Knight’, is this correct?” He asked Hill with curiosity.
“Yes, sir. According to reports, he seems to be a unicorn, fighting with a bow, some report they saw him with a bolt-action rifle. The enemy, as well as we lost some men to him if we didn’t…behave to put it that way.”
With an expression of curiosity and a bit indignant, the minister asked, “Behave? How? And by what means does he plan on making us?”
“Well, he isn’t directly hostile to our forces but if one of us tries to harm a civilian, the Green Knight makes sure that won’t happen.” Hill tried to explain through the reports he had heard about it.
“Then we're going to have a problem with this Green Knight. No matter what kind of people he's killing or for what reason, no-one takes the life of a British soldier and does not answer for it. British soldiers have a duty and responsibility to show the innocent people of the world courage and kindness. If that duty is shirked then they must be punished, nothing else will do. But it will be us that judges them, not this wandering archer or any other like him. If he's found, do your utmost to bring him here alive. But should he prove too volatile...well...I think you'll know what to do. He shall answer for the lives he's taken, my way or his.” Churchill demanded.
“Of course, sir. We’ll inform you at once when we have him.” William replied, not sure if the Green Knight could be captured alive at all.
“Something else I should know, Captain?” Churchill asked, noticing how nervous Hill was.
“Well, we have 3 guests here, lost children we found.”
“Children? Local people I suppose?” The prime minister asked, wondering why Hill was so nervous about it.
“Allow me to explain, prime minister.”
“I’m all ears, captain.”
Still nervous how Churchill would take it, Hill, together with his lieutenant, told him where they found them and where they came from in detail.
The minister still had a light confused expression, yet friendly. “Sorry to hear what happened to those young kids. Can I meet them?”
“As you wish.” William waved at them. While they could see that the prime minister was a friendly man, they were still shy and nervous like with Rommel as they walked to him.
“H-hello, Mr. prime minister.” The children greeted together. Churchill was suspect, hearing two ponies talk but he wanted to know if it was true.
Churchill smiled warmly. “Hello young ones, it’s a please to meet you, I’m terribly sorry to hear what happened to you. Come, have a seat.” He pointed to a shady Oasis with a table where they sit down. William poured Churchill a glass of Brandy. “Tell me, it is true about your home?” His voice was friendly.
“Yes it is.” Dinky replied, confirming everything, her friends did too.
“Sounds like you are a long way from home. But don’t worry, the people of Britain will keep you safe.” He watched the view of the desert.
“So, young one. You say back home you have a queen of sorts ruling your kingdom? Well, it's a small world. We had a queen once. People still mourn her back home. Had the honor of saluting her in person outside Buckingham Palace back in the regiment. Fought with her name on my lips back in Sudan. 'God Save The Queen!' we all cried as we charged into the raging sands.” He told Dinky.
“So...what was your queen...like?” Dinky asked after processing the information.
“Pardon my choice of words, kids. She was… fat...is what she was. More like a barrel in a black dress than anything else. And god’s teeth, she was stern. Even in the photos, the way she glares at you, seeing right through your mortal soul. Like you’re most dreaded aunt.”
“I have a grandaunt, I wouldn’t say she’s dreaded, but not really polite either.” Dinky replied, not sure how her grandaunt could be explained.
“We don’t have an aunt, but a grandmother called Mitta. She cares for us deeply and everypony who wants to harm us has to go through her. I can still remember, there was a colt in school who bullied us both because of our father. After Mitta showed up and…scolded him, he never dared to bully us or any other foal in school again.” Blau Streifen added.
The proud Brit smiled. “Ha! Well for that, I envy you. Mine were a collection of the most hideous hags in all of Britain. And that's up against some pretty stiff competition.” He laughed.
If Dinky’s memory was right, the capital of Britain was London, it made her curious. “Is there anything really interesting in London?”
William grinned. “They’re very rarely isn't. Just last month when I was on leave, I took my son to visit Madam Tussaud's Waxwork museum where lifelike clay effigies of long-dead politicians’ stand rigid and silent day and night.”
“For a moment there, I thought you were describing the House of Lords.” The minister joked amused.
“And right next to it is the Chamber of Horrors, Britain's most feared foes and criminals surrounding visitors with cold, empty gazes.”
“Or as we call it, the House of Commons.” Churchill chuckled.
Dinky smiled. “Sounds scary but the Waxwork museum sounds like fun.”
“It is I can tell you that.” William replied, remembering how happy his son was about it.
“We believe you that.” The siblings said in union.
“Well, it was nice meeting you, children, but I have to go. Captain, keep them safe.” Churchill ordered.
“Yes, sir.”
It took him a moment to realize to what he just agreed.
“Wait, what?!” William couldn’t believe what he heard.
“You heard me right Captain, you’re responsible for their safety.” Churchill repeated, heading to his car, the Captain let out a sigh, rolling his eyes.
While accepting it, Hill mumbled, “I'm a civil servant, not a bloody babysitter.”
It wasn’t unheard by the minister. “They're basically the same thing except the baby doesn't wear a dinner jacket. Good luck, soldiers.” He got into his car, Cutting closed the door and the convoy moved.
“Right, listen. I like to think of myself as a reasonable man but there are three things I simply do not put up with on any circumstances. Fascism, cold toast and crying infants. We're going to get out of this in one piece but you'll need to do so with as little fretting as possible. Clear?” He asked the kids.
“I'm a foal, not an infant!” Dinky replied, slightly upset by it.
“Neither are we infants!” Blau Streifen added in an offended ton, his sister just shook her head with an upset expression.
“Well, I'm sorry, I'll ask for your certificates next time. My point is...you're lost, we're in a war, there a people over that desert who want to murder everyone here...don't expect hugs and kisses if you get scratched. There's a time and place for that sort of thing and the battlefield isn't it. And for the love of God, keep your heads down and your eyes open.”
“Tell us straight away. Anyway, I think you are a good leader, William.” Dinky praised him.
He tipped his helmet. “Righto. If you’re excusing us, we need to discuss tactics.” The two men walked away, leaving the children alone.
“Have you heard the latest?” the conversation of two soldiers interrupted got their attention
“No, what is it?” the other one asked, wanting to know.
“Those SS troops that are operating here, they took another of our outposts out, no survivors.”
“Christ…How do they know?”
“Our officers are looking into it.”
“I hope they find it soon before we lose more good men.”
That made the kids wonder who the traitor could be and how he sends the information.
“That doesn’t sound good. If he informs the SS about us…” Dinky feared.
“Even if he does that, there’s no way they could sneak in here without getting noticed.” Blau Streifen reassured her.
“What about the man who tried to kidnap us? Do you think he’s the traitor?” Katja asked.
“Maybe, we should stay vigilant.” Her brother replied, Dinky changed the subject.
“So, what could we do now?” Dinky wondered.
“Well, I figure we should help them put up those defenses. We owe them that much and it looks like fun.” Blau Streifen suggested, not able to think of anything better to pass the time.
“Sounds like a good idea to me. Hey, isn’t that Upton?” Katja pointed to a man in the distance, wearing the same clothes as him.
“I think so. But, there’s only one way to find it out.” Dinky walked towards the man, the siblings watched, both felt that something wasn’t right, they couldn’t figure out what it was.
“Sir Gorrister?” Dinky asked, the man turned, startled, before his expression became a smile.
“Oh, it’s you. Nice to see you again.”
“Me too, did your nephew get the letter?” She asked with hope.
“Of course he did, he was very happy about. If you’re wondering why I’m here, I was about to report about my progress.”
“And?” The filly was curious.
He sighed, “Nothing actually. They are so busy with planning that they won’t give me a chance to speak. But I will not give up.”
“That’s the spirit! If I may make a suggestion, Captain Hill could assist you, he was a diplomat before the war.” The unicorn had no doubt that William was very cleverly in his diplomatic skills.
“Captain Hill?” Upton had a hint of disgust in his voice. “He is a good diplomat, I give him that but…the Parliament is suspicious of William's loyalty, saying he might be a spy and that with a good reason.”
Dinky couldn’t believe what she heard. “A spy?! But...but he is so nice! Wh-why would they think he's a spy?”
“Well...a number of reasons. Firstly, he's only a captain of His Majesty's Armed Forces and yet he is constantly interrupting war councils to edge his own opinions in. All of our senior officers have been accounted for but he is not. Secondly, Rommel knows of our orders from back home long before even we receive them. It has to be someone involved with civil affairs as he is. And thirdly, and most importantly, his kind knows no other lifestyle.” Gorrister explained, knowing him exactly to the detail.
“His...kind?” The child didn’t understand.
“Cross-breeds. Miscegenations. Freaks of nature. I assume he told you of his background, his origins, as if they were something to be proud of?” He asked in return.
“Well...yes. He said he's a bit of Welsh, a bit of Cornish, a bit of...” She tried to explain.
“Jewish and Gypsy, yes? That's four races of so-called mankind who have long presented themselves as sworn enemies of civilized society. You can't trust any of them. They're fit only for treason. And those crossed with others are the worst of the lot. It doesn't matter how much English blood he may have. His is tainted, impure. Those who have no pure origins are loyal to themselves.” Upton cut her off.
“But...back home, there are loads of ponies that have…” Dinky thought if the word sounded right, “…'crossed' breeding.”
Upton became confused. “What do you mean?”
“Well, take me for example. My daddy's an Earth Pony, my mommy's a Pegasus, but I came out a Unicorn. And Mr. and Mrs. Cake are both Earth Ponies but their babies are a Pegasus and a Unicorn.” She replied.
“And no-one...pointed this out?” His expression was clearly one of distaste.
“Well...sometimes. And some ponies make fun of us.” The memories of bullying came back into the filly’s mind.
“Exactly. As you make fun of your entire species.” He countered.
It sounded offensive, but still, the young pony was still confused. “...I don't understand.”
“Why not, it's very simple. Its simple protocols of nature. Oldest and truest rule of the species. The higher races should keep themselves pure. They shouldn't 'mingle'. When a white pig and a black pig breed to create patchwork horrors, they are ostracized from the rest of their kind. What works for animals works just as well for humans. My job is to ensure our current Prime Minister, or the next one, realizes this. We all have our allotted place in life...” He quietly added, “And Bucknell's is in the ground.”
The mind of Dinky couldn’t process it, William, a spy? It made no sense, he was so polite, father and husband, he could never do something like this.
“I have heard that our officers have an idea how this traitor informs the SS.” Two soldiers talked, interrupting them.
“Really? What have they found out?” the other one asked, wanting to know.
“Well, apparently, this traitor seems to communicate via means that are barely suspicious.”
“That means?”
“Our officers have suspicions that the SS get somehow informed via letters but it isn’t confirmed yet.”
“Well, they better find it soon before we lose more men.”
That conversation made Dinky realize something.
“You...you've been sending the letters to them. You're the reason those men died.” She pointed her hoof at him.
Gorrister just folded his arms, smiling smugly. “Am I? I never set foot inside that camp. Who was it that did? There are many who saw you bringing a letter. And many who saw the absence of the letters when you were gone. If I am discovered so are you, you tubby little nuisance.”
“Wha...” Her eyes widened with horror as she realized, “But...but...you tricked me...”
“Well yes, but do you really think you'll have time to prove that before they put a bullet in your skull? Whether under the Union Jack or the Swastika, traitors are shown no mercy in war-time. That oaf, Churchill, won't listen to you or that Cornish upstart, Bucknell. They'll be smiling as the firing squad tightens their trigger fingers come sundown. Not only on you, but your friends as well.”
“What?! Leave them out of this!” Dinky protested.
“You don’t understand, do you? If someone is discovered as traitor the authorities will also look how much his friends know. As you were mostly seen together, the squads will also come for them.” His voice was cold, blackmailing her without remorse.
Dinky just stared, unsure what to do.
“I think we understand each other, don't we.” He made another letter. “Now...would you be so kind as to take this to my nephew? I've been missing him terribly.”
The filly just nodded, taking the letter.
Upton was unaware that the siblings had watched everything.
“This…This….” The colt couldn’t bring out the word he was looking for, due his disgust and anger.
“We must help her, we can’t let him get away with this.” His sister replied, also disgusted how he abused Dinky for his work.
“We should tell William straight away.” Blau Streifen suggested.
“No brother, we need evidence, so he will believe us.” Katja thought for a moment. “Got it! The letter! We need to get it before it’s sent.”
“Good plan, sis.” Her brother complimented her.
Dinky walked towards the communications tent; it wasn’t right but she had no other choice. She only did it to protect her friends, yet she was filled with guilt and regret.
The officer wasn’t at his post at the moment, so she just put the letter on the table.
Then she walked back to the tent, her head lowered, sniffing.
It pained Katja and Blau Streifen to see Dinky like this, they knew they had to get that letter to prove that she had nothing to do with this.
“I get the letter, you watch for the officer, sis.” Blau Streifen entered the tent, seeing radio equipment in every corner. “Ok letter, where are you?”
Outside, Katja was keeping an eye for the logistics officer, knowing she had to warn her brother or to distract the soldier should he come back.
Unfortunately, she saw him in the distance, walking to the tent.
“What are you doing here?” The logistics officer asked her as he came back.
“Just looking around, getting to know the camp.” Katja nervously lied, sweating not only from the heat.
“Okay, it’s a good idea.” He replied, about to go in.
“Wait, I have a question.” She asked, trying to buy her brother time.
“Sure, shoot.” The officer smiled.
“I have read that you Brits love tea to drink for breakfast, what kind of tea do you like?” It had just popped into her head, but she had read that it was a typical for the British people.
The soldier let out a happy laugh. “Girl, tea is an integral part of our drinking culture, even during the battle of Britain, the observer were drinking relaxed their tea while watching the battle. No Brit starts the day without his early morning tea, often drinking it in his bed. We mostly drink it un-flavored, although the well-known Earl Gray tea is named after a British. Strong varieties are preferred, not necessarily the highest quality. Even our workers drink tea in their break time. We always drink with cup and saucer.”
Blau Streifen heard the conversation, using it to go out unnoticed.
“Thanks, I always wanted to know about British tea culture.” Katja thanked the soldier after her brother had managed to get out.
“You’re welcome. It was a pleasure for me.” With a smile, the logistics officer got back into his tent.
“Easier than getting to the cookie jar.” Blau Streifen came out, holding a letter in his mouth, putting it into his saddlebag
“You sure that’s the right one?” His sister asked, hoping it was the letter Dinky had brought.
“Was the only letter in the tent, it has to be the one. Still, that was a close call. Let’s get back to Dinky.” Blau Streifen let out a breath of relief.
In their tent, Dinky was lying on her cot, filled with guilt, not knowing what to do.
Her friends walked in. “Please, leave me alone, I don’t feel so well at the moment.”
“Dinky, we overheard what Upton did to you.” Blau Streifen said, which caused the unicorn to look up.
“You did?” She asked surprised.
“Yes we have. And look what we got.” Katja replied and her brother showed the letter.
Dinky’s eyes widened in fear. “The letter! What were you thinking, they will-“
Before she could finish, the colt gave her a tight hug. “Calm down, Dinky, we are friends and friends help each other. We took it so we can prove your innocence. We will give it to William when the moment is right.”
“That could work. That way we save lives and can prove that Upton is the traitor.” The filly smiled again.
“Yes. We both had a feeling that he couldn’t be trusted.” The girl was glad that they could cheer Dinky up.
“Hey children, how’s it going?” William entered, completely oblivious of their conversation.
“Doing good. If you don’t mind, what do you think of Upton?” Dinky asked.
William’s expression was neutral.
“The man's a quasi-martinet. A man who likes to see war and discipline and glory just for the fantasy of being part of it himself. Do you know why they're sending him to negotiate with the Germans? Because he's close to being one of them, in philosophy anyway. You see, back home, there's a group of rather nasty bu...err...blighters who like the way Hitler does things. The Blackshirts of London, or the British Union of Fascists as they call themselves. The Gorristers have been part of the Union since its birth. Word is their leader, Oswald Mosely, is running for PM. If he wins, God forbid, Britain will be fighting arm in arm with the Nazis, so they say. Though I'm surprised he'd be negotiating with Rommel. It's Himmler or Mengele he should be conferring with, Rommel can't stand him.”
“Good to know. Can we help you with the defenses?” Blau Streifen asked.
“Of course, follow me.” William made a gesture for them to follow.
The children helped to carry ammo and sandbags to where they were needed.
It was evening when they were done. “Those sandbags are heavy!” Katja wiped the sweat off her forehead.
“Yes, but nothing stops a bullet more effectively than a sandbag.” Hill replied, knowing how effective a sandbag wall could be. He pointed to a trench at the very back of the defensive lines. “See that trench? Once the attack begins, you will stay in that trench. Don’t worry, we thought everything through. This trench is for the radio support at the very end, you will be safe in there from the fighting.” His voice was honest, showing that he cared for them.
“Appreciated.” All three said together before they dined and went to bed, the siblings sharing a cot.
They overheard a conversation between two 2 soldiers.
“He's out there. The Old Green Knight. Sagittarius, they call him. They say he's a good omen to the pure of heart and death to the wicked.
I thought they were pulling my leg at first but then I sees what he can do! It was back when a group of them dodgy SS bastards found a Synagogue not far from Sallum. They were all set to torch the place, as they do, and had the poor sods inside lined up for slaughter when there's a bright flash of green, like nothing you've ever seen before And before you can blink, the boys with red armbands are dropping like flies. But you see, their leader was arguing with some other German, army captain by the looks of it, proper professional-like. I couldn't hear them, but the captain and his crew didn't seem happy about what the black-coats were doing. We hear this sort of thing happens, never hear it back home but that's war for you.
Well, this captain doesn't even get scratched. Apart from the SS wankers giving soldiers a bad name, no-one else is dead. Well, captain's not standing around there long so he tells his lot to put out the fires, tells the prisoners to leg it while they can and then buggers off. Can't say I blame him.
But we don't have it any better. We need to behave ourselves when he's around. There was this sergeant, Ricky Hanson, nasty piece of work. I disassociated myself with the fellow most of the time but then I heard he and some other iffy buggers have chased some young Arab woman into the trench, intent on things best not spoken of. I was all set to put a stop to it when, quick as you like, Hanson and his boys are put down like bloody dogs in another green flash. The message was pretty clear. He doesn't like that sort of thing.
And he's there, miles off on some sandy hill, overseeing the whole thing. I see him as clear as I see you now.
I swear his bloody bow was floating in mid-sodding-air. It ain't natural!
We're on one side, the Germans on the other. In between, miles of sand. They say there's no laws out there but they're dead wrong.
The Green Knight? The archer on the hilltop? He's the law in these parts. Judge, jury and executioner.”
Whoever he is, I don’t want to be his next target.” The other soldier replied, fearing the Green Knight-
Even the children wondered who the Green Knight could be, the disruption sounded like a unicorn from Equestria, but they weren’t sure, so they decided to think about it the next day.
Knowing that the siblings helped to prove her innocence, Dinky could sleep peacefully that night, despite being slightly nervous about the upcoming battle.
In the night, she was awakened by whimpering. Sleepily, the filly opening her eyes, she heard the whimpering coming from Blau Streifen. “Mama…Papa…” he called quietly out in a scared voice, tossing and turning. Katja in her sleep, wrapped an arm around him, calming her brother down.
Dinky smiled at the warming sight, remembering how Sparkler did the same with her and Tootsie when they had a nightmare.
In the morning they had a quick breakfast before going into said trench with the radio operators, William was in another trench at the front, looking for the enemy with binoculars. He spotted a large dust cloud in the distance. “Here they come.”
German and Italian tanks in combination with halftracks transporting infantry closed in.
The tanks opened fire, William got down, yelling out orders. “Anti-tank guns, fire!” The tank fire was deafening but he was used to it.
The weapon crews obeyed, firing on the tanks, destroying or immobilizing them, forcing the crew leave their tanks. The halftracks got destroyed too but the infantry managed to get out, trying to assault the trenches, but the combined firepower of rifles, SMGs and MGs made this attempt futile.
The Axis retreated. “Rommel, I read your book!” The Captain exclaimed, seeing them retreat, knowing that the tactic of combined weapons was very effective if used correctly.
“Enemy aircraft!” A fellow soldier yelled as German and Italian planes did ineffective strafing runs on the allied positions, the trenches protecting Hill from the MG fire.
Shortly after, British planes intercepted the enemy, engaged in brutal dogfights.
The children prayed that William would survive as well as their Italian and German friends, they were scared from the gunfire and explosions in the distance but felt safe in the trench, watching in awe at the dogfight as no side seemed to gain the upper hand.
The radio operators informed the HQ. “The enemy has engaged us! Held them off so far! Requesting artillery support! Over!”
A loud wailing sound came from the sky, causing the children to cover their ears, looking up with the radio operators.
Two German planes fired their MGs on the trench, causing the kids to duck, bullets missed them by inches, Dinky out of instinct casted a shield spell to protect herself and her two friends, that was all she could do with her magic due being still a foal, it was not very strong.
As one of the planes was over the trench, it dropped something, the children couldn’t see what it was before an explosion threw them against the wall, blacking out.
With a blurry vision, Dinky came to, coughing from dust, looking at her left fore hoof, it was bleeding from some cuts, her horn was still glowing, her friends also regained consciousness, coughing.
“That…hurt…” Blau Streifen rubbed his head, apart from some cuts, he was fine. “Are you okay, sis? Dinky?” He asked worried.
“I’m fine, brother. If it hadn’t been for your spell, we probably would have died, Dinky.” Katja replied, seeing that the British soldiers hadn’t survived, their bodies lying lifeless and bloodied in the trench, it was a horrible sight for them.
“Poor guys.” Dinky felt tears run down her muzzle as she stared at the near-shapeless remains of human bodies, wondering whether or not she'd ever seen them in life.
The sound of an engine rang in their ears, then several clicks. “Don’t move!” A German voice ordered.
“P-please…don’t….” Dinky was so scared that she couldn’t bring out another word, trembling, the siblings hugged each other, seeing several barrels of guns pointed at them.
Their hearts beat fast in fear of dying, never seeing their parents again, but then, the weapons were lowered.
“Dinky? Katja? Blau Streifen? You’re alive!” It was Konrad’s voice, happy to see that they had survived. He, Matteo and Willi helped them out of the trench, patching up their wounds.
Knowing there was no time for explanations, Linus, armed with a MP40 and wearing a helmet instead if his cap, said, “Use the tank for cover!” pointing to a Panzer IV next to them.
The children just nodded, having noticed that the defenses were overrun and hoped that William’s death had been quick and painless.
Before they moved up, Escher noticed a glare of a scope in the distance on a hill. He could swear he saw what appeared to be a unicorn, overlooking the battle. To be sure if he saw this right, the man blinked, only to see a gust of wind and sand. It made if wonder if he just had seen the Green Knight, and if so, if the Knight was here to kill him.
“Push up, we are almost through!” Linus ordered as only the base defense was left.
The German and Italians moved to the base, the Allied troops had MG nests, anti-tank guns and their tanks as last defense.
The German tank stopped, aiming at a MG position so the infantry could get through, using him as cover. An anti-tank gun fired, the shot missed, hitting the ground to the right of the tank.
Konrad aimed at the loader of the enemy weapon crew as they reloaded, firing as the loader was exposed, the bullet hit him right into the head, blood flowed down and the Brit stumbled before falling over, the German’s squad mates took the rest of the crew out.
With an explosion, the MG nest was history, a Crusader tank moved up, aiming at the Panzer IV as the crew reloaded the main gun, already aiming at the enemy tank.
A Panzer III flanked the Crusader from the right, firing into the side, the shot went through and the British Tank exploded in flames, probably because the shot hit the ammo rack.
Then a Matilda moved into range, its main gun could not penetrate the armor of the German tanks, but neither could they damage the Matilda.
As the Matilda was busy with the German tanks, a Semovente 75/18 and M13 used this to flank the heavy tank, shooting on its rear. Like the Crusader, the Matilda went up in flames in an explosion, burning.
“So much for the queen in the desert!” The officer cheered before a comrade yelled, “Hurricanes!”
The British fighter-bombers flew towards the Axis tanks, dropping their bombs on them.
The explosion of the Panzer IV knocked the children over, their visions blurry, their ears ringing.
In the moment they recovered and were about to get up, a loud clang startled them, making them flinch.
The turret of the Panzer IV had been blown off, missing them by inches.
In the distance, the Green Knight watched the battle, keeping an eye on the children, slightly worried for their safety. The battle of El Alamein reminded him of a similar battle of the civil War, the battle of Riverroll, where Celestia’s troops used their Steam tanks in a similar manner as the Germans did here.
Brauron once asked me what could possibly be worse than a shameful, disorganized retreat?
I answered.
“When the enemy don't let you.”
A loud engine echoed in his ears. Looking into the sky, he saw what he assumed was a British bomber flying over him towards the battlefield, one of the engines smoking.
The engine caught fire; the bomber was going down. The eyes of the Green Knight widened in fear.
The children recovered as someone shouted, “Watch out!” a big shadow covered the ground.
A plane was going down, coming right at them, their eyes went wide in fear. “Run!” Konrad yelled and they all wasted no time as the bomber crashed into the sand, sliding towards them.
The burning wreck exploded, the blast threw them in a ditch, the kids rolling several times, trying to catch their fall, to no avail.
When Dinky finally could catch herself, spitting some sand out, she could see that her friends were knocked out as they had landed head first into the ditch.
The filly heard screams and felt the heat from the flames, her vision starting to get blurry, she could swear she saw a silhouette of a pony before everything went black again.