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// Chapter 9: Prep Work  
// Story: The Return 
// by John 117 
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	The makeshift barracks for the small company was located near the smiths of the castle. As the ponies walked to and from their stations, the striking of metal and the hiss of water could be heard as weapons were resharpened and armor remade for combat. Each unit was to be refitted for duty so that they would be at one hundred percent when sent off to their places among the kingdom to defend against the griffon hoards. Blow after blow rang out around the newly pitched tents as smiths worked long and hard to ready the gear by the end of the week. 	
Inside one of the tents sat three figures hunched over maps and charts. The charts ran over the logistics of the company while the map laid out before them showed key locations that needed to be held; each commander of a company had one, but none yet knew where they would be sent. None wanted the mountain  pass though, since they all knew it would most likely be a death sentence. None except Marcus and his brave few. He was looking over the ranks of his chosen few, as well as their files on their psych profiles and just about everything else he needed to set up this company right. He needed squad leaders and second in command, not to mention he needed to set up their individual squads based off of strengths and weakness; if one pony or several had a certain weakness in a field, they would try to be matched with ponies who could make up for it in some way. Emilia sat next to him on the ground, her legs crossed as she went over supplies needed for the company; weapons, arrows, armour, medical supplies, and the thing that kept every army marching forward. Food. There wouldn't be a shortage, but getting enough of what they would need was taking harder and longer than thought. Signing, Marcus leaned back on his hands and glazed over the papers in front of him.

“I think I nearly have everything set up. BullsEye will be my right hand, since he seems to know most of the men. He’s well respected, and is good in a fight, but specializes in long range tactics. We’ll need that since the Griffons have the advantage in close quarters.” Marcus thought out loud. It they could stop the griffons before they reached their own line, the would have a much better chance at winning engagements with the enemy. If they got in close though, the physiology of the griffons would give them an upper hand. 

“We seem to have enough armor and weapons, but I’m having trouble getting enough arrows for our archers. The Unicorns will have to take over as missile support if we run out too fast.” Nodding, Marcus stored it in the back of his mind for subjects to be addressed later.  He stretched out his legs away from the small, short wooden table in front of him and sighed, looking out side through the billowing flaps of the tent currently occupied by himself and his friend. He groaned and stood up, or about as well as the could. These tents were made for ponies, and thus where for the optimal height of a pony. Waddling out of the small tent, Marcus stretched out to his full two and a half meter height. Looking around he watched his stallions drill together, making sure they knew one another's weakness and strengths in their form during combat. A cohesive unit was a strong one. 

“They will need to keep drilling until we leave. A lot of these colts haven't fought together before. We need more time.” Moving to the side to let Emilia out, he pointed towards the castle gates. Following his finger, she took notice of it.

“They’re been working on it all day and night. By the time it’s finished, nothing will be able to break through; and with the magic shield to protect them from the sky, this castle will finally be battle ready. I just hope its enough though.” Nodding Emilia turned around and gazed at the battlements. 

“The griffons will have a hard time with this, but I am not sure that it is impenetrable. They are…..adept at war. The harsh winters in the north have made them a strong people.” Marcus nodded, his understanding of griffon tactics limited but still somewhat useful. He had read up on what he could with what the princesses had on them from ages old when the two nations seemed to fight every other year. They were brutal, not caring about losses, but yet effective in where they actually lost troops. Griffon-stone hadn't been breached in centuries some had said, even before the unifications of the tribes and the rise of the Alicorn sisters. They were a warring nation, and had refined the process. Losses; calculated and accepted. Wins; practically a given in almost any situation except when fighting the ponies. Magic was just too much of a wild card in some instances. Emilia finally said what they were both thinking. 

“If we wanted to end this quickly, you and I would just move for Griffon-stone alone and well equipped. Take out their king.” Marcus shook his head and looked at her. 

“Too many unknowns; we don't know the terrain, the numbers in their armies, the exact location of said armies, and whether or not we’d reach Griffon-stone quick enough to stop most of the action.” Emilia began to speak but Marcus raised a hand. 

“If we took a guide or two they’d slow us down. If we were caught they’d be killed ,or worse captured. No...its looking like we might have to slug it out.” Looking down crossing his arms, he nearly accepted the fact until Emilia final spoke up.

“I could go.” Lifting his head, Marcus thought on it a moment. Nodding, he spoke.

“It has it’s advantages; I stay, the one they trust to do the nitty gritty work while you go off to a land you're a bit more familiar with and take out one target. It might work if I can hold them at…. Yes. This just might do it.” Marching away, Marcus aimed for the castle’s war room. 

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“Its insane! This filly walked in here with the invading force and you want us to trust her with a mission like this?! Even if you hold the mountain pass long enough for her to get there, how do we know she won’t spill out everything she’s learned while her?” an old goat by the name of Grey Beard yelled. If it were for the stars and bars that he had quite clearly earn by looking at his scar riddled body, Marcus might had hit him. They had been arguing about the plan for over an hour, and every time they figured that no other way would work to end the war quickly, someone would still bring up the same point; Emilia wasn’t Marcus, and had only just arrived. Her arrival, however, had been coupled with a nearly successful invasion of Equestria’s capital city. Bending over onto the table and pinching the arch of his nose for what felt like the millionth time that day, Marcus sighed and spoke. 

“Trust her or not I don’t care. What I care about is that you trust my knowledge and judgement for the character of a person I have known all my life and have suffered the same pains as her. I know her better then all of you, and you all seem to trust my judgement on these types of matters. Now I am asking, maybe even telling you, to trust this woman and let her do her damn job!” He finally shouted out. He pointed at her and then at everyone else in the room.

“Not a single damn pony in this room, ney, in your ARMY could accomplish this task. She can. No one will follow her, so its the best place to put her skills to use; as an assassin.” The generals assembled around the table fell quiet in thought, pondering over Marcus’s words. Both sides of the plan, holding the mountain pass and the assassination of the griffin king, were both more than likely suicide missions. But the ones proposing specialized in such missions. General Stonewall finally spoke up.


“How much time do you need to get ready and move out for the pass?” Marcus smirked and spoke.

“Give me until sunrise to get everything ready.” Stonewall frowned.

“You have until midnight.”