//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: Fire-Watch  
// Story: The 'Great' Equestrian war 
// by SpeedTheSoldier 
//------------------------------//

                                                                                             -3- 
Speed hummed aloud to himself as he jabbed several poles in the ground as accurately as possible. He did his best to match what everyone else was doing as he didn't really know how to make his hooch. He didn't really know how to make one, but he knew what a hooch was. A hooch is a makeshift shelter. Eventually, after Bullet realized that he didn't actually know how to make a hooch, Speed's duties passed on to laying the cloth over the top of the skeleton of his temporary house. 

The, what the other ponies called, 'Camp Site' was in the middle of a forest. It was in a slight clearing off the beaten path and well out of sight. The officers had a way of keeping the camp safe to talk in until the quiet alarm was sounded. The higher up officers ordered a guard rotation called Fire-watch, which rotated around the hooches. Speed was in the fourth hooch away from the planning one so his tents inhabitants must be the fourth to be out on guard, and when it was his turn it was nearly midnight. 

At about the time they had just finished there hooch they were, much to there displease put on guard. This gave them some 'quality time' to spend together and maybe even get to know Bullet or Cloud. Cloud Kicker looked the most annoyed about the fact of fire-watch out of the three of them, and this was a surprise to both Bullet and Speed. No one had ever really seen Cloud angry yet, not even the people he knew well most. Yes they saw him sick, sad and concerned but never actually angry and this anger... you could see the fury in his eyes.

They, eventually, for what seemed like an eternity got to the road side. they all positioned themselves behind a small mound that separated the road from the forest. They slightly poked their guns and bowl shaped helmets above the mound peeking for any sign of activity. After a quick peek Cloud Kicker slammed his rifle in the dirt beneath him.

"Nothing," said Cloud Kicker nearly beginning to shout "Of course there's bucking nothing," 

"What's with you?" Speed asked hoping that Cloud wouldn't shout,

"Why are we guarding here? Bullet, Speed? No?" He questioned beginning to start sounding insane, "There's no reason, is there?"

"There's no point, not in the slightest, we're miles behind our lines under great defense and we have to guard our bucking camp in the middle of the woods!" He ranted

"I never knew you didn't like orders, everyone likes orders," Bullet said as sarcastically as he possibly could, 

"I may be an officer Bullet but i hate these orders just the same, not all officers love orders," He snarled back. 

Sure they don't speed thunk to himself.

"Urm.. can we not argue i don't wan't to sleep in the same hooch as two angry idiots," Speed said only mildly irritated by it. 

Before they knew it their shift was over and they returned to their hooch to sleep. Before speed fell asleep he wanted to know the time. Out of his pack he pulled out a pocket watch. It was a very old watch, passed down the family from his great great grandfather who originally owned it. He checked the time 2'O'clock. Speed drifted off into his dreamland with the watch clutched tightly in his hand.

The next day after he was awoken quite suddenly by the bugle player sounding off right outside his hooch. Speed dropped the pocket watch out of sheer fright and the watch nearly smashed there and then. The watch landed face up and he could see it the time.

"Bucking six in the morning!" Speed announced before anyone else had a chance to say anything. Today they all grumbled at this.

"What was the point of guarding the camp if we were gonna do that?" Cloud mumbled as he stepped out of the tent shrugging his coat on. 

After breakfast, the usual porridge or gruel sort of stuff they were told to get into a squad in the middle of all the tents for an announcement. Speed and Bullet were in the mid-front of the squad meanwhile Cloud rather sleepily commanded it.

"Everypony," Announced one of the higher officers, "I know that you have had a rough night and early day today," He paused for a moment,

Sure you do Speed thought

"But today," The officer boomed on, " we move on to Apple Loosa."
-3-