Chapter 2: Guirbaden’s Request
The skies were grey and the air cool. Yet the sun still shone through with promise. Steel Lance and his knights had been camping in the vast Mosswood forest south of Castillia for two days now. It had to be past noon but still before supper. Time seems impossible to tell when one is idle in the forest.
“Why are we here?” muttered a knight. “We’ve been squatting in the mud for two days without a single peep from the Fengarians.”
“Isn’t this against the law or something? I thought there was peace between Castillia and Fengaria.”
“I bet we missed the Fegnarians.”
“It was probably our fault. I mean you can’t trust the Griffons.”
“Shame. I was actually looking forward to fighting something other than the skilless bandit or the raving drunk.”
Although Steel Lance knew it was ungrateful of his knights to talk about Lord Guirbaden in this manner. He himself began to question Lord Guirbaden’s intentions. Steel Lance leaned back against the damp wood of an oak tree, looking at the grey above. He closed his eyes and poured over the conversation that sent him and his band on knights on this quest.
“Hup!” Lord Guirbaden’s interruption was sudden. “I happen to have the solution to both of our problems.”
Naturally, this intrigued Steel Lance. He had to listen more.
“Please, explain yourself Lord Guirbaden.”
“Well...” trailed the regal lord slowly, “you wish to partake in the thrill of battle against a foe worthy of your skills, yes?”
“More than you know, my lord.”
“And you hope that such a battle would prove to the great houses that YOU are a noble worthy of recognition.?
“Yes... I do.”
The Griffon huffed at Steel Lance as if he lost respect with him. “Then you are a fool for thinking such a battle would win you any recognition.” Guirbaden turned his back to Steel Lance, his crimson cape swirled around his tail feathers.
Steel Lance couldn’t speak for a second. “What do you mean, my lord? How could winning a battle against our kingdom’s foe not show that my men and I are not blood worthy of a noble house?”
“Allow me to entertain you. Let’s say you win your fantasy battle. How would you prove it?”
“By taking trophies, my lord.”
“Any peasant with some gold can buy a Fengarian curved blade from a washed up merchant in Buckzantium and say he slew a Fengarian warrior to get it.”
“But surely the accounts of my entire band-”
“Would mean absolutely nothing.” said Lord Guirbaden as he turned to face Steel Lance once again.
He could see the truth in Lord Guirbaden’s eyes but he didn’t want to believe it. “H-how? But if we all have the same-”
“Having the same story of a battle means nothing. Any drunk can group up his friends together and fabricate a story.” Guirbaden sighed as he peered over the vast expanse of ocean before him. “The only way to be noticed by the great houses of Castillia, is for a noble of said great houses to speak of you in a good light.”
Steel Lance knew he was not in good standing in the eyes of any of the great houses. Even House Sweetvine of Honeywine, the noble family he served growing up, had hardly taken notice of him compared to the rest of their knights. If his jousting victories had earned him a nearly honorless position guarding the castle of Light Tower, how much more would he have to do?
“But surely... a victory against Fengaria would earn some-”
“The only way for your “fantasy” to bear fruit is if you prevent the Fengarians from sacking a city or defeat them after many other noble houses failed.” There was a brief pause for a moment. “Or...” Guirbaden chuckled, “you can protect one of the most important castles in all of Castillia from being taken by the Fengarians.”
Steel Lance couldn’t comprehend what Lord Guirbaden was talking about at the time and he still didn’t understand the full of it now.
“What are you talking about, my lord?”
“You want recognition for great deeds and I want more troops in my castle. However, the only way for the King to grant me more troops and money is IF my castle performs what it was built to do.”
“You mean-”
“Yes, the Fengarians must attack my castle.”
“It’s not like the Fengarians to attack without reason, my lord!”
“That is where you come in.”
There was no doubt what Lord Guirbaden would propose would be dishonorable in every sense. But this seemed to be the only way. Steel Lance braced himself for what Guirbaden might have said.
“Four days from now, the Fengarians will be sending a trade convoy to Buckzantium. It will have to cross through the Mosswood forests south of Castillia. I need you and your men to attack the convoy and kill as many Fengarians as possible. Once you’ve done that, you will bring as many sets of armor and as many weapons as you can carry, back to me.”
“Wha-...” Steel Lance gave the decision some thought. “What will you reward me with exactly?”
“A Lord’s grace and true word about your valiant battle. You will be praised for holding the line against a foe of our Kingdom.”
“Will your word be enough, my lord?”
“I assure you that the words of House Light Tower will carry you to both fame and fortune.”
Steel Lance looked back at him men, still tinkering with the Fengarian cannon. “Even if the Fengarian’s ‘attack’ this castle, how would they have been able to pose a threat?”
“Oh... perhaps they had...” Guirbaden looked back at the cannon. “A weapon capable of breaching that old rotten gate.”
It wasn’t right. It wasn’t honorable. It was a risky idea. It seemed like the only way at the time.
“I-... I will do as you ask, my lord.” said Steel Lance as he turned away.
“I knew you’d be up to the task. But before you go. There is one more thing I’d like to add on this quest.”
Another task?
“There will be a mare traveling with that group. She will most likely be dressed in fine robes. I want you to take her alive and unspoiled, if you can.”
Steel Lance’s thought turned to this one question:
What was so important about this mare? Why does Guirbaden care if he gets a mare or not?
Suddenly, Steel Lance was shaken from his thoughts.
“Sir!” cried a knight, “Bow and Range have spotted the Fengarians!”
Steel Lance could feel his heart race. This is the battle he’d wanted for ages, even if it wasn’t on terms he’d like. “To the river! Quickly!” he ordered.
Every knight under his command quickly ran to their predetermined positions. Steel Lance and the other Pegasi would hide among the treetops while his Earth Ponies would hide in the dense brushes. They had chosen their ambush point carefully. They would strike when the Fengarians were crossing the Mosswater Bridge, an ancient construct rumored to be older than the forest itself. The rains have been light this season and the Masswater River is shallower than usual. Perfict for their mission. The Fengarians cast into the river won’t be washed away and their items could be retrieved with ease.
Steel Lance hid himself within the needles of a tall pine. He could hear the excited clamor of the others hiding in the same tree as him.
“Quiet, all of you," he ordered.
Soon enough, the site fell silent. It remained that way until the marching of the Fengarians filled the air around them. To the west was the company Guirbaden had spoken of. Steel Lance couldn’t help but stare in awe at them. They were a magnificent force to behold. Every soldier was dressed in a form of plate armor. They were completely in uniform. Every soldier wore the same set of armor that fit their role. Their sword and spearponies wore the heaviest armor. Their archers wore a broad, flat pauldron on their left shoulder and were far more lightly armored than their melee counterparts. All of their armor was colored a light crimson with a light brass trims. They marched in a tight formation, completely in step with each other. In the center of the column was a mare, no older than Steel Lance’s mother. She was dressed in fine robes and walking with what appeared to be her bodyguards.
This was it, do or die. Steel Lance could feel his heart racing. Time seemed to slow down as he watched the Fengarians march towards the bridge. The stress of waiting was unbearable, but if everypony kept to the plan it would work without a hitch. Half of the Fengarian column was crossing the bridge when he gave the order to attack.
“CHARGE!” screamed Steel Lance as he dropped from the forest canopy.
He glided with lance and shield up, smashing into the side of the column and knocking three swordsponies into the river below. The rest of his Pegasi knights followed, throwing the Fengarians into disarray. Half of the swordsponies fell into the river, just as planned. Steel Lance’s Earth Pony knights charged into the river, yelling at the top of their lungs and cutting their way through the confused and dazed Fengarians. This was the first time Steel Lance had heard the clashing of steel on steel. He could see the sparks flying off of his shield when Fengarian blades struck. At first, he reveled in the battle. It was not his brave knights versus mere cowards and bandits, but real men fighting a glorious battle to the death. However, the reality of it all sunk in quickly.
The fighting on the bridge was far more brutal than Steel Lance thought it would be. The Fengarian soldiers were skilled. They wielded a strange single edged curved sword that they used with speed and ferocity. On the edge of his vision, he watched his knights get cut down one by one. When Steel Lance managed to disarm a Fengarian swordspony, he pulled out a shorter double edged straight sword. Steel Lance could see that his target was retreating. One of the target’s bodyguards was running into the forest and away from the battle. Although the carnage was mounting, although much blood was spilled, the fact that a soldier would willing abandon his comrades deeply angered Steel Lance.
There will always be cowards I suppose...
Steel Lance swatted a swordspony to the side and tossed his lance at the coward. The lance did little to the coward but remove his helmet. Bloody hell... need to work on my aim later... He drew his rapier just as a Fengarian swordspony slashed at his face. Steel Lance tried to back away but he felt the tip of curved sword scratch his skin. The curved sword also succeeded in cutting through the chin strap of his helmet. That was far too close... The Fengarian swordpony swung his sword just as fast and Steel lance could swing his. A quick bash with his shield and some light footing, Steel Lance was able to run his rapier through the swordpony. The swordspony died, unable to finish the horizontal cut that would have decapitated Steel Lance.
“Damn... He almost got me...” muttered Steel Lance as he faced a new opponent. As he turned, he saw how the Fengarians were fighting. While his own knights fought as individuals, the Fengarians were gradually melting to form a line of swordsponies. The spearponies have already retreated with the archers further back on the road. Steel Lance fought with a swordspony who dual wielded his blades. It was a tricky fight trying to keep the curved sword from cutting his sides and the straight sword from piercing his gut. Steel Lance knew he was on the defense with this one. He had to go on the offense or die.
With a quick thrust of his rapier, Steel Lance slew his opponent. Though his brash move left him wounded. The Fengarian shortsword slashed through his scale mail. If the shortsword had move an inch to the left, or if Steel Lance had not worn the scale mail, the wound would have been far worse. He couldn’t feel the pain for now, but he could feel blood soaking into the padding. A sharp command from the Fengarian ranks ended the skirmish. The swordsponies even retreated orderly, like they were drilled to do so.
“Come on lads! We’ve got them!” shouted Steel Lance emptily. The feeling of victory was absent in Steel Lance’s heart. Even as he watched the Fengarians retreat, it did not feel like his knights had won.
“Charge! Keep up the pressure!” Steel Lance could feel the armor rattle around his wound. He and his knights charge forward at the line of Fengarian spears. As soon as they charged, the spearponies broke rank, peeling away like waves breaking against the bow of a ship.
What are they doing? The retreating spearponies revealed a line of strange weapons.
Steel Lance thought he was mistaken for a second. What are those? They look just like-... “It’s called a cannon,” echoed Guirbaden’s voice. Cannons on spear shafts?
Steel Lance planted his hooves into the ground, desperate to stop. ”SHIELDS UP! SHIELDS UP!!!” he shouted, hoping his knights would hear him. Some of them did. A few knights stopped, raise their shields and kneeled.
“HASAGI!” shouted a Fengarian commander.
Steel Lance himself raised his shield just in time to cover his torso from the hail of bullets. One struck his helmet, knocking it off. A second bullet struck the edge of his shield. The last one to hit Steel Lance in his right shoulder pauldron. Fortunately, the bullet struck where the pauldron linked with the cuirass. It was like getting punched by a bulky minotaur with brass knuckles. He was thrown to the ground by the volley Fengarian handgonnes. Thought, unlike many of his knights, he was still alive. He thought about how this would be the perfect opportunity for those spearponies to charge forward and finish them off. Strangely, there was no charge, no killing blow, only the grey clouds of lingering smoke from the handgonnes remained.
Steel Lance knelt heavily on his shield as he tried to stand up. As the smoke cleared, he saw the Fengarians had made a hasty retreat. They could have easily finished us off... even if we outnumbered them... Why did they leave us be? He groaned as he stood back up while clutching his side. The adrenaline was wearing off and the pain had just begun to settle.
“How many-” Steel Lance paused to catch his breath. “How many did we lose?”
The others were silent. This was their first taste of real combat. Bandits and hapless drunks were nothing compared to the Fengarians. The silence continued until Iron Plow walked up to Steel Lance.
“About twenty, Sir. Maybe more.” said Iron Plow grimly. Nopony could see the giant pony’s face, but everypony could tell what he looked like.
Steel Lance looked at the carnage around him. The number of fallen Fengarians was matched by the bodies of slain knights roughly. Steel Lance reckoned that they might have killed a few more Fengarians. It was a terrible ratio, a pyrrhic victory at the best.
“Everypony who’s not wounded, get the carts and gather the enemy’s weapons and armor. Bury the dead.”
Steel Lance limped over to a Fengarian corpse. He could only see himself lying there on the road. So this is what it’s like... to fight another stallion of honor... He kneeled over the corpse, reaching for a crest the soldier wore over his armor. Blood dripped from the wound on his waist as he picked up the crest. He couldn’t make out what the rune on it was. All of the Fengarian soldiers seemed to carry this crest.
“Bury the Fengarians. And use these crests as grave markers for their dead.”
“Sir. You should bandage your wounds and rest.”
Steel Lance removed his left hand from his waist. A dark crimson covered much of his leather glove. He gave a light sigh.
“It’s just a flesh wound.”
“Flesh wound or not, you’re no good to us bled dry, Sir,” said a knight while he handed a cloth bandage to Steel Lance.
Steel Lance couldn’t argue. He sat down, removed his armor and started to bandage his wounds. He noticed a massive bruise where the handgonne’s bullet struck his armor.
What kind of sorcery is this?...
“Do you think Lord Guirbaden will keep his promise, Sir? Will we be named heroes for this?”
Steel Lance look once more over the battleground. Over the stallion’s he lost and the honorable soldiers of Fengaria who had fought to protect somepony Guirbaden wanted in his talons.
Steel Lance sighed, a dense feeling of anger gripped his heart. “He’d better, or else Fengarian blood won’t be the last we spill...”
