The Seventh Canterlot Reserve Company kept pace with the Fourth Company’s left flank as they crossed the open ground, the advance stumbling in the dark and slowing slightly, before picking back up as the earthworks of the front loomed ahead.
Glorious Dawn gestured to Red Roam, pointing farther to the West. “Spread out, we need to hit the top of that earthwork in as wide a spread as we can, try to silence as many defenders as possible simultaneously.”
Red Roam nodded, shifting his pace up and pushing the left flank out wider. The ponies followed Red Roam, the left flank opening and spreading to cover a wide swatch of ground. Major Stonewall apparently had different plans, as his own formation shifted, moving from a wide square formation into a spearhead. Glorious Dawn understood the maneuver, looking to the North. There was a gate ahead, beyond the earthworks, leading back to the enemy camp, and Major Stonewall’s spearhead formation was pointed right at it.
“They’re going to push through to the palisade. We’ll have to take the earthworks and trenches ourselves, and then fortify to their rear and hold,” murmured Glorious Dawn. It was a bold strategy, and if it paid off the Major’s first strike would send the griffons behind the palisade reeling and off-balanced, unable to retaliate effectively thanks to the speed of the attack.
That meant, though, that the Seventh would be left to clear the earthworks alone.
Grimacing, Glorious Dawn mentally prepared himself, widening the right flank out farther and spurring the troops into a full charge, pushing ahead of the spearhead formation. Glorious Dawn called to Major Stonewall, who moved at the tip of the spear. “Sir, let us hit them first, we’ll clear a path and you can push through!”
Major Stonewall nodded and slowed his pace slightly, the spearhead formation falling behind in the darkness. Glorious Dawn faced ahead, fully focused. Hooves hit the base of the earthworks, ponies charging up the incline, and Glorious Dawn led the Seventh Reserve over the top, into the trenches.
Dawn leapt down into the trench, landing nearly on top of a stunned griffon soldier. He stomped down with his hooves, delivering a stunning blow to the griffon’s head, sending him reeling. Shifting, his horn ignited, drawing a curved sabre and delivering a slash across the griffon’s throat. Blood gushed from the wound, the griffon’s eyes widening into a terrified gape, and then Dawn pushed him into the dirt and charged right.
Across the trenches to the West, Red Roam hit the trenches, his sabre gripped in his teeth, and dropped down onto a pair of griffons. One screeched, but his rear legs lashed out, hitting the griffon in the side and knocking the air from his lungs. The second griffon attacked, claw blades whirling and striking in an uncoordinated counter attack, and Red Roam blocked and dodged, fighting defensively for a moment. The griffon pressing him suddenly stiffened as a spearhead blossomed from his side, gore pouring from the fatal wound. An earth pony stepped to the side, leaving the spear embedded in the dying griffon, and leapt upon the other griffon, hooves and sword slashing. Red Roam spun, pausing to observe the attack. Griffons fell to his left and right, the element of surprise as effective a force multiplier as ever. He began to work out small pockets of resistance farther to the left and pushed that direction, several ponies joining him.
Back to the East, Dawn shoved a griffon hard, breaking from the slashing talons of his opponent’s grapple, and his horn spewed flame, splashing across the griffoness’ breastplate. The griffoness reeled back, rearing up on her hind legs, and Dawn pushed in. His saber slashed across the griffoness’s lower abdomen and he pressed in, shouldering into the griffoness as her guts spilled into the dirt. She screamed, falling to her side, and Dawn raced past her. He leapt for the opposite side of the earthwork, climbing onto the inner side of the trench and up to the top. He lifted his head, eyes closing, and a sparkling flare of magic shot into the sky.
Dawn’s eyes opened and he looked south, just in time to see the charging spearhead of the Fourth Company turn and bear down on his position. Major Stonewall’s soldiers cheered, and the hundred and fifty ponies of the Fourth Company galloped past, pushing through the clear space in the trenches and toward the palisade gate. Dawn smiled grimly and leapt back down into the trench as the rear of the formation passed. A choking cry came from his hooves, and he froze, looking down. The griffoness he had been fighting lay in the dust at the bottom of the trench, holding her hemorrhaging gut with both talons, gasping for breath. He stared at her, and her eyes locked onto his, full of terror.
To the West, Red Roam saw the magical flare and turned East, his gathered soldiers following him towards the dazzling magical display. To the North, the sounds of battle rose into the air as the Fourth Company met resistance at the palisade gates, but Red Roam ignored the fighting. He found Glorious Dawn sitting beneath the magical beacon, cradling a dead griffoness in his forehooves. Her neck twisted at an odd angle as he slowly set her down in the bottom of the trench and stood, his gaze slowly raising from the dead warrior. Dawn’s eyes met Red Roam’s, and an unspeakable moment of exhaustion and pain passed between them. Roam spoke up. “Sir, we’ve got resistance to the West. How are things here?”
Glorious Dawn’s back imperceptibly straightened and he spoke carefully, voice betraying nothing. “The way is clear. There’s resistance East as well, but they seem to be falling back.”
“Their forces seem to be concentrated towards the West. Should we push that way, Captain?” asked Red Roam.
“Yes. I’ll rally the right flank and push West with you, Lieutenant,” said Glorious Dawn.
Glorious Dawn turned away, moving East to gather his soldiers, and Red Roam moved West to assist with the push there.