Honor for the Enemy

by Simon_oSullivan

Annarr kostr

The Fimbulvetrian scouts blew their battle horn when they spotted the watch towers of the Gryphon Kingdom. With the booming warning still echoing in the wind, the two pegasi flew towards the main caravan they’d left behind. They zigzagged and crossed their flight paths, and the caravan came to a halt. The scouts saluted the stallion leading the caravan with a hoof to their chest as they landed on the grassy field.
 
“Þegn Drakkar, we’ve spotted the Gryphon Kingdom in the horizon. Less than ten miles remain.”
 
The brown unicorn returned the salute with a firm hoof against his chest, covered by his matching brown overtunic. As he lowered his leg to the ground, he focused his attention on the clear sky above them. The Moon was at its highest, and the lack of wind allowed his long, dark yellow mane to rest motionless on his olive green cloak.
 
With a long, noisy huff, Drakkar turned his head at the caravans behind him. A dozen carts pulled by sturdy oxen followed him, with over fifty warriors protecting the front, flank, and back of the caravan. Right next to him stood his personal bodyguard, Hófkarl Megin-gjarð Hǫggson. The hulking behemoth of a stallion remained alert at all times, and during the whole week of travel had only left the þegn’s side to make sure the Manegol ponies behaved and didn’t try to escape.
 
Drakkar turned to face the soldiers behind him. “Soldiers, we can reach the Gryphon Kingdom before tomorrow noon. Don’t let your guard down; we’ve had a calm trip, but expect a Manegol ambush or wild beasts anytime soon.”
 
The soldiers nodded and turned their heads to check their surroundings. The lack of Úlfsvetir and other usual threats had been received with relief, especially after the taxing battles Fimbulvetr had gone through only a few weeks ago.
 
One of the Manegol colts was able to roll on his belly and get up on his hooves despite having his legs tied. Letting himself fall on the side of the caravan, he looked at Drakkar as he panted between long breaths, “You snow-eating scum! You didn’t have enough with killing my older brother on the battlefield; you also have to get a profit from me!”
 
Although Megin-gjarð turning around was enough to make the pony lean back and cower, Drakkar rested a hoof on the hófkarl’s shoulder. The enormous stallion remained on the spot, still throwing a glare at the prisoner, followed by a guttural snarl. When Drakkar walked his way in front of the rebel pony, he rested a hoof on the cart before speaking.
 
“You are here because you refused to take revenge on your brother’s death.” Drakkar’s face twisted into a slowly deepening frown, which made the colt move away from him. “You had the chance to avenge his death, or at least try to. Anything would have shown that you actually live by a code of honor.” When the tied colt frowned at him, Drakkar rolled his eyes, letting out a disgruntled sigh. “You can’t expect me to be intimidated by that; I know you aren’t that gullible. You had me in front of you. You were armed and ready to charge against me. You might have been able to kill me. Instead, you dropped your axe and fell on your knees.”
 
The young stallion shook his hooves trying to set himself free, talking between grunts. “Look at me! I’m far from a warrior!”
 
“What’s your name, Manegol?”
 
The pony stopped moving for a moment, staring at Drakkar in disbelief. With a dubious stutter, he replied, “I… I’m Chuluusüke. Why do you ask? Why does it matter?”
 
“Stone axe.” The young stallion remained with his mouth wide open for an instant before nodding as the other Manegols shared stares of awe. “You bear a warrior’s name, youngster, though I can see your training is far from done.”
 
“I started my training at the barracks only two months ago! What does it have to do with me being here?”
 
“And yet you took arms against us. Your brother fought with honor and determination, and for that you should be proud to have him as an example to follow. What you did, however, was pointless, and you should be happy he died before he could see you.”
 
“Shut up!” Chuluusüke twisted between growls, gritting his teeth as he struggled to sit, leaning forward to face Drakkar. “You don’t know what you’re talking about! You already killed him! Leave him alone!”
 
“The battle has been over for a long time, kid; it’s time to think coldly. Your brother fought with a ferocity I’ve seen frequently. Not only he was trained to fight, but had a strong reason to do so. But you weren’t supposed to be there.” Drakkar shook his head, staring at the young stallion’s watery eyes. “He fought admirably to protect his family, including yourself. I have the feeling you grabbed that axe against his wishes. He probably told you to stay inside.”
 
Chuluusüke blinked as he stared at Drakkar. In front of him stood the one who murdered his older brother, yet he seemed to know everything that had happened before the battle started. The young stallion moved away some strands of his long, black mane from his face, allowing Drakkar to stare deep into his tired aquamarine eyes. “How do you know that?”
 
“Because I also fight to defend those I care for, and all the ponies that escort you and your folks do the same.” Drakkar shook his head, pointing at Chuluusüke’s ivory-colored chest. “Fighting for a purpose is glorious and you shouldn’t avoid the call, but that doesn’t mean you should throw your life away. There’s always a reason to fight, but there are also reasons to make it back safely.” The unicorn let out a short sigh, followed by a lowering of his head. “I cannot say I blame you for that; I learned that lesson only recently, but the main point still remains.” Drakkar went back to using a scolding tone, pressing his hoof against Chuluusüke.

The Manegol stared at him with a raised eyebrow. “What are you trying to say, Fimbulvetrian?”

“If we see a pony wielding a weapon, regardless of age and gender in the middle of a battlefield, we assume you know how to use it. And we’ll fight you and take you down, probably with such ease that we won’t even bother to mention it in our boastings. By picking a weapon, you showed you were a warrior ready to fight. But by throwing it away once picked?” The þegn’s face warped into an expression of utter disgust, which made Chuluunsúkh shrink and move back. “You are lucky we took you with us, considering you were going to be judged as a deserter.”
 
The young earth pony gulped, looking away from Drakkar. “I thought—”
 
“In the heat of battle, many of us make mistakes we regret instants later, kid. Were you trying to scare us off?” Chuluusüke didn’t look Drakkar in the eye, but still replied to him with a weak nod. “Most of us have years of experience in the battlefield, and we can see when our enemy is well-trained and ready to give his life if necessary. But we can also see when the only thing the pony in front of us has is a weapon, but no idea what to do with it.”
 
“And I’m going to be sold to the gryphons? For dropping my axe?”
 
“You know how Manegols treat deserters and cowards better than I do.” Chuluunsúkh lowered his head, nodding again. “You are still alive, and I am well aware that becoming servants is far from what you wanted your life to be.” Drakkar slammed the cart with a hoof before moving away from it to address all the captive Manegols. Earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi, mares and stallion alike moved and tried to find out whatever was going on. “Listen, because I shall not repeat it again. We are giving you a second chance at life. Yes, you will be purchased and work for gryphons. Some of you will be little more than servants for those too pompous to dishonor themselves by performing menial tasks. Some of you will be trained to fight for their amusement. But remember this: gryphons respect strength. Become good enough at something, be it fighting or supporting a household, and you will earn their approval, and even your freedom.”
 
Chuluusüke raised an eyebrow, looking around to meet his fellow Manegols’ startled stares. “Is that even possible?”
 
“I have seen a few Manegols owning stores and earning a profit for themselves, and some of the gladiators became renowned enough to pay for their freedom as well. You shall have a place to sleep and those who end up becoming gladiators will be given training before they send you to fight.” Drakkar let out a sigh before raising his voice for all to hear. “I will not lie to you; it will be difficult. We don’t expect gratitude for this gesture, nor are we asking for it.”
 
He pounded the cart a couple times with his hoof before pointing at one of the caravans — the only one that held barrels and boxes instead of ponies. “We’re camping here for the night, soldiers! Start building the tents! Usual patrol turns when you’re done!” With a gesture of his hoof, Drakkar called Megin-gjarð to come closer, tilting his head when the huge earth pony got in front of him. “Get the kid and bring him to my tent when everything is set. Make sure the others are fed and are given something to drink.”
 
Chuluusüke gulped before turning to his fellow Manegols, getting unpleasant looks from those he achieved eye contact with. Around them, the Fimbulvetrian soldiers began working on setting up the camp.
 

Drakkar remained alone in his tent, grunting as he moved among the scrolls he had in front of him. Next to him stood a small fish oil lamp that gave light to the room and allowed him to work. “It’s not enough! No matter how many times I look at it, we’re still short.” An exasperated sigh escaped his lips as he grabbed his mug of mead, staring at its half emptiness. “We must make some cuts if—”
 
The heavy hoofsteps of Megin-gjarð made Drakkar sit uptight and let the quill on the floor. “Is anypony there with you, Þegn?”
 
Drakkar shook his head, his worry twisting his voice. “I was just thinking out loud, Megin-gjarð. What do you need?”
 
“I brought you the kid as you asked.”
 
“Let him in.” Drakkar put the papers away as the young Manegol walked inside on his own. Despite being untied, Chuluusüke kept looking with a worried frown at both stallions. The huge hófkarl remained outside of the tent, standing guard. The Manegol kept looking outside of the tent, jumping away as Drakkar waved a slice of fish. “You should eat something, youngster.” Chuluusüke stared at the food for a moment, stretching his hoof slowly towards it. Showing a tired smile, Drakkar rested the fish on his hoof before he took another one for himself.  His horn glowed dimly as the bowl levitated and ended up between the two. ”They’re clean, so bite without fear.”
 
Chuluusüke glanced at the fish for a moment, and then focused on Drakkar once more. The unicorn raised an eyebrow at the kid while biting the fish he had picked. It was only shortly after that the Manegol started eating what he was given. Chuluusüke turned back at Drakkar as he nodded and smiled. “It’s quite good.”
 
Drakkar grinned widely while pushing the bowl closer to him. “Enjoy them, kid. I’ve caught most of the fish we’ve been eaten during this week-long trip.”
 
Chuluusüke’s eyes open widely as the fish slice he had picked slipped back to the bowl. “Really? So you’re a fisherpony?”
 
“And a hunter, just like my father and his family since before Fimbulvetr became the kingdom we have today!” Both ponies became silent and avoided eye contact, though Drakkar looked at the kid through the corner of his eye. The Manegol ate fish with a sad frown on his lowered head, idly staring at the slowly emptying bowl. “What was his name?”
 
Chuluusüke turned to face Drakkar with a raised eyebrow. The unicorn lifted his mug of mead and took a long sip. “Tömüke.”
 
Drakkar moved the mug away from his face before showing a satisfied smile. “A fitting name for a worthy warrior. You must feel proud of him.”
 
A small blush reddened Chuluunsüke’s white cheeks. “I am. I appreciate your words.”
 
“I don’t give away compliments, so rest assured that, if I say something about your brother, it’s because he earned it.” Drakkar blinked for a moment before focusing his sight on the cloths of the tent. “Tömüke, you said? How come you have axe-related names in your family living in Brandr?”
 
Chuluusüke shook his head with a confused expression. “Brandr? I’m sorry, but I don’t think I understand. Our khanate is called Badanbaatar.”
 
“Oh, right, Manegol name.” Drakkar massaged the space between his eyes before letting out a short sigh. “We call them for the weapons the Great Khan left to his children before dying.”
 
“The khanates in Manegol are named after the kids’ names. Badanbaatar, Numbaatar, Jidabaatar and Aluq-abaatar.”
 
“Hero of the saber, the bow, the spear and the hammer?” Chuluusüke frowned at him, but Drakkar shrugged as he let out a short chuckle. “Well, we have a city that translates to “land of goats’, so yours aren’t that bad.”
 
Chuluusüke chuckled with Drakkar, yet returned to the serious expression shortly after. Staring at the tent’s exit, he asked, “Do you think I’ll be able to return home someday?”
 
Drakkar closed his eyes, resting the mug next to him. “I don’t know, kid. If you earn a high enough reputation, you’ll become free and you might be able to return to Manegolia. I don’t know if they’ll make you go through a trial or something to prove that you’ve grown up.” He turned to face the Manegol and gave him a quick shrug. “Or you could even find a Manegol mare there and start a family; it’s all up to you.”
 
With widened eyes, Chuluusüke looked away and covered his face behind his hooves. “But þegn, I’m only fifteen! I don’t think I’m ready for that! Sure, there was this mare who—”
 
Drakkar burst into laughter at Chuluusüke’s violent blush, earning Megin-gjarð attention for a moment. “You’ll have time to think about that. Or even better; you could earn a female gryphon’s favor and end up becoming her lover. I’ve heard they’re wilder in bed than our mares.” Drakkar laughed once more, patting the Manegol in the back, who gave him an awed, disbelieving stare.
 
Megin-gjarð shook his head, yet remained in his position as he said. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”
 
With an amused smirk, Drakkar crossed his forelegs in front of his chest and replied to the hófkarl. “I don’t recall you have had the experience to tell who are better.”
 
“Your wife squeezed two foals out of you in the first two years of marriage, and I had to insist that you moved your bedroom to the other side of the longhouse as well as making it soundproof.” Megin-gjarð pushed his head inside the tent, gazing at the furiously blushing Manegol and the frowning þegn. “I’ve never mated with a gryphon; I’m just saying that, knowing your wife, there’s little room for improvement.”

Drakkar laughed loudly, pounding the ground with his hoof as the young Manegol stared at him and slowly move away. “If the sounds she makes are the only thing you know, you are far from able to fairly judge anyways.”
 
With a quick grunt, Megin-gjarð returned to his position as Drakkar turned to face Chuluusüke. The Manegol kid shook his head while keeping his eyes wide open. “Your… your soldier is quite… brazen.”
 
A chuckle escaped through Drakkar’s lips as he shrugged Chuluusüke’s words off. “He’s a foalhood friend. We grew up together. And yes, he’s my hófkarl, and as such, he lives with us.” The unicorn covered his mouth with a hoof to muffle his laughter. “Which also means he has to deal with my love life.”
 
“I want to say…” Chuluusüke looked down as he grabbed another fish from the bowl. “I am grateful that you didn’t take the rest of my family with me.” The Manegol kid shrank when Drakkar’s smile turned into a frown at his words. Chuluusüke covered his head with his hooves and looked away as the unicorn glared at him.
 
“You speak as if I enjoyed what I’m doing.” Drakkar finished the mead before refilling it from the keg next to him. “I don’t. Nopony should. But we get to replenish some of our coffers and those of you who were going to be executed for desertion are given a second chance at life. In one way or another, both ends win.”
 
“Is that all?” Chuluusüke kept his hooves over his head, but he looked at Drakkar from behind them.
 
“That is all.” The unicorn let out a long sigh as he turned to his mug of mead and stared inside it.
 
Another long silence followed for a moment. Seeing a war veteran in such state made Chuluuüke raise an eyebrow, yet he kept the distance. The unicorn alternated between taking sips from his mead and checking his papers. Looking down at the bowl of fish, the Manegol exhaled briefly before pushing the food away from him. “I am full. May I return with the others?”
 
Drakkar didn’t look at the kid when he replied. “You may.”
 
“Aren’t you going to send me with a guard or anything?” Chuluusüke remained on his spot, motionless as the þegn finally turned to face him, a bemused expression drawn on his face.
 
“I can call guards to take you there, but you can get there on your own.”
 
“I could simply walk away from the caravan.”
 
Drakkar slowly turned to Chuluusüke, an amused smile growing on his face. “And where would you go?”
 
The Manegol kid took a step forward and opened his mouth to speak, but remained motionless as words didn’t come out. Blinking on the spot, he lowered his head and stared at the rubble under his hooves. A shake of his head followed a few unfinished sentences. “I… maybe…”
 
“You are doing it again.” Drakkar sighed with his forelegs crossed on his chest. “That is the reason why you ended up here, and you think that impulsive thinking and acting will help you get away. Let’s assume you decide to escape.” The unicorn frowned at the Manegol, whose legs began to tremble slightly. “And then what? You certainly can’t go back to Manegolia just yet. Can you survive in the wild? For how long? If you have somewhere else to live, you can leave.” Drakkar stomped the ground when he stepped forward, glaring into Chuluusüke’s eyes. “Is this the way you’re going to appreciate Tömüke’s sacrifice? So you can get killed in the wilderness because of a foolish error?”
 
The Manegol’s eyes widened in an instant, and quickly turned into a deep frown accompanying his gritted teeth. Small pebbles were dragged up from the ground when Chuluusüke raised his right hoof and threw a punch that hit Drakkar’s cheek. The blow made the unicorn step aside to prevent a fall as he let out a pained grunt.
 
“I told you to leave my brother alone!” As Drakkar shook his head, Chuluusüke took a step forward to confront the þegn. “You can mock my cowardice and twist the dagger in that wound as much as you want. You can question my worth as a warrior. But my brother stays out of this!” Despite Drakkar’s growl inches away from his muzzle, the Manegol didn’t flinch.
 
Chuluusüke remained impassive for a while, only raising an eyebrow as Drakkar’s growls gave way to a smirk. “There might be hope for you after all.”
 
The Manegol shook his hoof for a moment, keeping eye contact with the unicorn. “Now you are going to tell me that you did that on purpose for this to happen?”
 
“I’m still genuinely disappointed at your behavior, but you defend your family’s honor as anypony that values their family is wont to do.” Drakkar rubbed his hoof on his cheek, though he showed no trace of pain as he did. “I shall make sure you get to the gladiatorial arena; the training you get there combined with your Manegol archery should make you decent enough to win plenty of fights and become famous among the pit fighters.” Chuluusüke nodded with a barely noticeable smile. “And when you stand there in front of your enemy, whoever he is, remember who you are, Chuluusüke, brother of the Manegol warrior Tömüke.” Drakkar hit himself in the chest with a hoof, and Chuluusüke followed suit. “Live by his example, earn your place and return home as a renowned warrior.” The unicorn leaned forward, his gaze focused on Chuluusüke’s eyes. “And then, if the Nornir wish so, we shall meet in the battlefield once more. And songs about the confrontation will be sung for generations.”
 
Chuluusüke kept his distance, wiping his watery eyes as he nodded. “Maybe we will. I shall get myself prepared for that day.”
 
“And I look forward to it.” Drakkar showed a fickle smile as he patted the Manegol kid’s head. “You can go with the others whenever you want to.”
 
Chuluusüke replied with a quick nod. “I shall leave right away, then. Thank you for the food, þegn.”
 
“I’m glad you enjoyed Fimbulvetrian hospitality.” Drakkar showed a wide smile as the young Manegol walked outside of his tent.
 
When he turned to his papers, the joy quickly faded away, leaving a heavy frown where the smile was just a moment ago. He let out a long sigh right before Megin-gjarð stepped inside the tent.
 
“You seem concerned, old friend.” While Drakkar remained focused on the papers, Megin-gjarð looked the hófkarl’s shoulder to take a glance of the papers. “Are those numbers that bad?”
 
“Unfortunately, they are.” A long sigh escaped his lips as he approached the mug to his lips before drinking the mead that was left in a long gulp. “We’ve filled almost a dozen carts today, but that doesn’t make up for the previous years when we had close to nopony to bring to gryphon lands.” Drakkar filled his own mug as well as a second, clean one, which he levitated towards Megin-gjarð.
 
With a nod, the hófkarl raised his mug as he smiled. “Fierce fighters who refused to surrender and fight until death for those who they hold dear.”
 
“May their gods bless them in the afterlife.” The mugs clashed in a toast and both ponies chugged their mead with wide smiles hidden behind the containers. Drakkar’s smile slowly became a contemptuous smirk as he focused on the papers once more. “If there was only a way to balance the imports and exports…”
 
“We’ve already been allies with Equestria for five years now, and I know we’ve been trading with them since then.”
 
Drakkar shook his head. “Save for the unusual collector paying an exceptional amount of money for some figurines, there’s not a lot in our favor. Equestria’s economy is stronger than ours. Even with the trades we do with them, we simply don’t get enough profit to keep our coffers from emptying further.”
 
Megin-gjarð stroked his beard while staring with a frown at the half-empty mug. “What if we could buy the raw steel? Wouldn’t it be cheaper to buy the metal bars and work with them ourselves?”
 
“That would be the best option if we could work the metal.” With a long sigh, Drakkar left the mug net to the keg and started massaging his forehead. “All our attempts to make steel have given us dull or fragile alloys. Mjǫllna is the only Fimbulvetrian that I know that can craft goods made of steel and turn iron into strong steel, and that’s because she mastered Equestrian blacksmithing.” A smile covered his muzzle for a brief moment at the sound of his wife’s name. “She’s indeed the best to come from generations of smiths.”
 
A loud laugh escaped through Meingjarð’s widely open mouth. “And I don’t think she would be happy about us giving her the duty to supply a whole kingdom with weapons.”
 
“Not to mention that the caravans should make an additional trip, which would consume much more time. Gryphons have the weapons crafted already, so it’s quick. With this alternate plan, we would send the steel to Equestria, then wait until they’re done making the weapons, and then pick them up.” Drakkar turned to face Megin-gjarð, covering his muzzle as he lowered his head. “We could send her to teach our blacksmiths, but that’s a trade passed strictly master to apprentice, unlike the large schools they have back in Equestria.”

Megin-gjarð raised an eyebrow before lowering his head, trying to look into Drakkar’s eyes. “That’s not the only reason. We’ve known each other for over twenty years now.” His ears perked up the sound of brief sobbing, resting a hoof on Drakkar’s shoulder. “Hey, it’s alright, old friend.” Getting no reaction from the þegn, Megin-gjarð grabbed Drakkar’s face and lifted him so they could look into each other’s eyes. The unicorn’s watery eyes confronted the massive earth pony’s comforting gaze. “Drakkar, calm down.”

With a long sigh, Drakkar closed his eyes shut before wiping them dry. “I don’t want to take Mjǫllna away from our foals. I have to leave Ponyville every year to take care of the diplomatic relations and to assist Fimbulvetr during the war season with the Manegols.” Drakkar took a few deep breaths before resuming talking. “I already missed my firstborn’s birth. This is my responsibility, and I take it with pride and honor, but I can’t deny that the price is higher than I might have expected.”
 
“You should defer some of the burden to other ponies. The stress isn’t doing you any good.”
 
Drakkar grunted as he pointed at the financial scrolls. “I would relax if we could find a way to save Fimbulvetr from this economic disaster we’re stuck in! There must be a way out”
 
“Have you thought about buying our weaponry from Equestria instead of the Gryphon Kingdom?”
 
“I’ve thought about it, but we can’t just cut the imports with the gryphons just like that.” Drakkar took the papers and lay them on the ground between the two ponies. “I guess we could slowly cut the imports from the gryphons.”
 
The hulking stallion shrugged and showed a wide grin. “That’s not too difficult to justify. We’ve been buying steel weapons and armor for years now, and while we still don’t have enough to supply the whole kingdom, they’re far more durable. We just don’t need to resupply ourselves as frequently as we used to when using iron.”
 
Drakkar’s eyes widened, reaching his forehead with a hoof. “That’s a good point!” A wide smile covered his muzzle as he took the papers in front of him. “I have to ask about costs of trading weaponry from Equestria. Maybe we can even deduct some costs if we’re able to make the trading in the Crystal Empire.”
 
“At least if the price is better and the goods are still worth it.”
 
Drakkar nodded, a satisfied smile shining on his face. “That’s what we’ll have to find out. Shining Armor showed me some outstanding weapons and armor back there during one of my formal visits.”
 
“We’ll recover ourselves little by little, my old friend.” Megin-gjarð patted Drakkar’s back as he raised his mug, grinning as Drakkar levitated his own and rested it on his hoof. “For Fimbulvetr!”
 
“For our future prosperity!” With a second clash of mugs, the two friends enjoyed their drink.
 
As Megin-gjarð finished his mead, he peeked outside the tent. “I shall leave you so you can get some sleep.”
 
“Yes, if we wake up early enough, we can probably reach the Gryphon Kingdom by midday.” Drakkar covered his mouth as he let out a long yawn. “The sooner we’re done with this trading, the sooner I’ll be able to return to my wife.”
 
“So be it, then. Rest well, þegn.” The large earth pony got up and left the tent, his heavy hoofsteps slowly fading in the distance.
 
Drakkar allowed himself to fall onto his back, rolling the papers up and setting them under the small hay bale he used as an improvised pillow. With his axe, shield and chain shirt to his side, the unicorn levitated a linen sheet over him and leaned down as his eyes closed.