Purple Heart was standing before the assembled Heads of the Hare Tribes. Air Win, his subordinate, and Navee stood off to one side, under armed guard by Cap’n Baz, Fordsfoot and the rest of the Runners. The purple earth pony was thinking, trying to come up with a way to solve this problem peacefully. He didn’t think his chances of surviving against Fighting Hares were very good. Twilight hadn’t believed him when he’d said these hares were dangerous, but Purple Heart knew. He couldn’t win against them. Not without severe injury to himself and Navee. Or completely obliterating the surrounding countryside, something he was not too enthusiastic to attempt.
So that left diplomacy. He was wracking his brain to think of a peaceful solution.
Looking to Air Win, Purple Heart cleared his throat to get the Scout Captain’s attention.
“Do you have the authority to speak for the denizens and officials of Mistakwe?” the Purple Barbarian asked. The pegasus hesitated for a brief second before nodding in the affirmative.
“In a militaristic situation, I have overall command,” Air Win said. “In other cases, I have co-leadership status or am simply an advisor.” Purple Heart smirked.
“You’re in a militaristic situation right now,” he pointed out. “Your word goes as far as I’m concerned.”
Air Win frowned, obviously uncomfortable with how vague his claim to overall command was.
“I don’t think-” he was interrupted by Purple Heart’s raised hoof.
“With all due respect, shut up,” the purple earth pony ordered. He ignored Air Win’s spluttering as he spoke his reasons. “If we decide to give this off to a bureaucratic ponce, this conflict will only intensify. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think these fine hares are too enthused with the idea of throwing young bucks to their deaths just because you won’t negotiate here and now when the problem can be solved. Am I correct?” He turned to the seated hares as the question was posed to them. They all nodded vehemently, some even verbalizing their agreement.
“Roight,” Purple Heart nodded, looking back to Air Win. The Scout Captain looked mildly chastised. “I’ll ask again: in this situation, do you have the authority to speak for the town of Mistakwe?” The change was instant. Air Win puffed up his chest and stood straight, looking every inch the captain he was.
“Yes, sir!” he barked. Another smirk curved Purple Heart’s lips. He turned to Crumshaw, his plan ready to present.
“Sah Crumshaw,” the purple earth pony said. “I believe I have a solution to this problem that will satisfy both parties.” The aged hare smoothed out a rumple in his coat before fixing Purple Heart with an intense monocled look.
“Explain,” he commanded gruffly. Purple Heart inclined his head to the hare and walked slowly around the perimeter of the open space within the seated hares and their crescent shaped table.
“The Hare Clans have convened the Bunnglen on the location Mistakwe is now sitting for how many generations?” He looked at the hares as he strode along, waiting for their answer.
“Nine generations,” one of them said, from Purple Heart’s left. Nodding, Purple Heart continued his circuit around the open area.
“It’s tradition then to hold the Bunnglen where Mistakwe now stands,” the Purple Barbarian muttered, almost to himself. The hares nodded in agreement. “And yet, the town of Mistakwe has been a settlement for almost ten years. To me, it seems that both have a claim to that spot of land.” The hares rocketed up, crying in indignation. Weapons were drawn by Air Win and his subordinate, ready to repel any attack made by the hares. Purple Heart rubbed his temple with a hoof, sighing as he let the two parties vent their frustrations. When the shouting and accusing finally became too painful to listen to any longer, Purple Heart resorted to getting their attention.
The embarrassing way.
“SOOOOOOOOPEEER~!”
All sound ceased as the hares and Scout ponies blinked at the posing purple earth pony, all hostilities and disagreements forgotten. Navee shook her head. She couldn’t exactly figure out why her leader hadn’t already destroyed either party out of sheer irritation. Was there something staying his hoof that prevented their destruction?
“You know,” Purple Heart hummed. “I could just destroy both of you and wipe my hooves of this problem.” More indignant shouts, some of disbelief. “But I can’t.” Stunned silence. “You see, I’ve kinda got to find a peaceful solution to this. My idea should work for that. I’d rather not get an angry message from the Queen, or, Discord forbid, her majesty herself reading me the riot act.”
Ah. So there was.
“My two compatriots, them I could convince of my reasons. The mares with their moral compass...probably not. And definitely not Queen Amber Glitter. So, here we are. Listen to my plan at least. If you don’t like it, fine. I’ll tell Amber, with a guilty conscious and blood oozing from my many wounds, that Mistakwe was a smouldering ruin when I arrived.”
Crumshaw and Air Win were silent as they mulled over their thoughts as the other Hare Clan Heads and Air Win’s second looked to their spokesbeing, awaiting their decision.
Crumshaw was weighing the pros and cons of attacking this purple earth pony. Conceivably, his hares and those under the other Clan Heads would be able to take the one earth pony down. However, he was here on order from Roania’s monarch. Killing a pony directly under the Queen would incite more conflict, something that Crumshaw wasn’t willing to risk. The Bunnglen may be traditionally held on Mistakwe’s land, but it wasn’t worth the future generations of the Hare Clans.
Air Win had no difficulty weighing the pros or cons of facing Purple Heart in combat. There were no positives aspects to engaging the Purple Barbarian at all. Two couriers before Purple Heart had arrived in Mistakwe, Air Win had gotten word of a rising star in Gallopilli’s Coliseum by the name of Purple Heart who had yet to lose a match and was adept at demolishing his adversaries. Air Win was certain that these two ponies were the same. The total time it would take Purple Heart to wipe out him and his battalion garrisoned in Mistakwe… The Scout Captain didn’t even want to imagine the structural and collateral damage Purple Heart could dish out.
Crumshaw came to a decision and glanced at Air Win meaningfully before he addressed Purple Heart.
“What do you have in mind?” he asked gruffly. A smile appeared on the purple earth pony’s face.
Perfect, he thought. The bluff worked. Yays for me. No pain today. I hope...
“My solution is simple,” Purple Heart announced. “Air Win clears out a spot of land near the center of Mistakwe and gives it to the Tribes. The Hares Tribes now have their land to convene the Bunnglen and Mistakwe isn’t uprooted and demolished.” The two parties considered Purple Heart’s suggestion.
“Are you sure this plan of yours will work?” Air Win inquired. Purple Heart shrugged.
“Only if you heed my second piece of advice.”
“And what might that be?” Crumshaw asked.
Purple Heart pointed a hoof at Air Win. “He dictates that the land he’s given to you is now under control of the Hare Tribes’ Embassy,” the Purple Barbarian explained. Navee arched an eyebrow at her commander.
“What does that entail?” she asked. Purple Heart sighed.
“Where I’m from, a foreign embassy on the land of another nation is considered the foreign nation’s land, thus, nopony from the housing nation has any say of what occurs on that select piece of land,” he said.
“Your country may do that, but we don’t know if theirs do,” Crumshaw snarled, jabbing a paw at Air Win and his subordinate. “How can we trust your advice will forestall further bloodshed?”
“Write up a treaty,” Purple Heart waved a hoof. “I’ll give it my stamp of approval and send it to the Queen. Roania needs allies. This could be the groundwork for a potentially fruitful alliance for both parties.”
The two leaders looked at each other, measuring their counterpart for weakness or potential deceit.
“It wouldn’t hurt to try,” Purple Heart hissed in a stage whisper. “Who knows? One party might have something the other needs, or vice versa. Food for thought.”
Purple Heart stepped away to stand beside Navee. Now, all they had to do was wait for Crumshaw and Air Win to make their respective decisions.
“Nicely said,” Navee complimented softly, whispering to Purple Heart. “Did you make that up on the go?”
“What? The suggestion or embassy land?” he asked, his lips barely moving.
“Both.”
“Aha. In that case, sort of.”
“...Explain.”
“Roight. I had started planning the offer of shared land about the time you told me that Mistakwe had most likely expanded onto Hare territory. Once I heard that Mistakwe was built on their traditional meeting grounds, I finalized it, presented it, and backed it. Elementary, my dear Navee.”
“And the embassy?” she prompted.
“Real thing,” Purple Heart said. “Where I come from, there are nigh dozens of countries and nations, almost too many to remember and name. Unless of course, you’re a Yack. Oh, Warner should know about that potentially lucrative venture I told you about earlier. Send a missive, would you please?” Navee blinked. Was he rambling again?
“Pardon?” she asked.
“Nothing,” Purple Heart mumbled, eyes fixed on Air Win and Crumshaw. “I think they’re wrapping up.” Navee frowned, turning to see both Crumshaw and Air Win looking at Purple Heart as if waiting for him to approach. As the purple earth pony moved from the sidelines, she pondered the possibility that her commander might be a touch crazy…
“You’ve reached your decision?” Purple Heart inquired to Air Win and Crumshaw. The two leaders nodded before Crumshaw spoke.
“We will draw up a treaty that allows the Hare Tribes to convene the Bunnglen every five years on a piece of 50 by 50 yard land given to the Hare Tribes by the Queendom of Roania,” the aged hare declared.
“This plot of land will be under the rule of the Hare Tribes only, an embassy which the Hare Tribes may utilize for diplomatic talks and such,” Air Win continued. “We will require your mark before sending the completed document to Her Majesty the Queen of Roania.”
A grin of relief and delight broke out across Purple Heart’s features. Navee knew where the relief stemmed from. He wouldn’t have to lie to the Queen.
“Let’s get started then,” Purple Heart crowed.
* * *
“And boop,” Purple Heart said gleefully, pressing his mark—an eye wreathed in a ring of fire—into the melted wax at the bottom of the parchment beside his chicken scratch of a signature. “That should be good enough for Queen Amber Glitter. Now you just have to send it.”
Air Win and Crumshaw nodded in agreement, the two leaders standing on the other side of the table in Mistakwe’s town hall.
“I’ll take you to the blacksmith,” Air Win offered. “It’s the least I can do to thank you for helping us prevent more bloodshed.”
“Happy to be of service,” Purple Heart inclined his head before doing the same to Crumshaw. “Let’s go, Navee. We’ve got an appointment with a blacksmith.”
The three ponies departed the Town Hall, leaving the mayor and Crumshaw to hammer out the details of sending the treaty to Gallopilli. The townsponies’ initial response to Purple Heart’s proposal was less than ideal for Crumshaw and the Hares. However, Air Win had put his hoof down, saying that he had the authority to enact such a plan as well as the Queen’s approval, by way of representative. Public outcry had subsided, but there was still indignation and a vague sense of hostility between the two species.
“I take it that once you meet with the blacksmith, you’ll leave Mistakwe?” Air Win queried as he led them into the merchant square.
“Nope,” Purple Heart said. “I need to wait for two of my friends to arrive before we plan our next course of action.”
“Aha,” Air Win hummed. “If you like, I can give their descriptions and names to the guards so that when they arrive, they can be led to you.”
“A wise suggestion,” Purple Heart agreed immediately. “I wouldn’t put it past them to get lost, even if they aren’t marimo green.” Air Win blinked before shaking his head.
“What do they look like?” he asked. Purple Heart described Wits End and Light Patch to the Scout Force captain. By the time he’d finished, they were standing in front of a sheltered area covering a forge.
“I’ll leave you here to talk to Iron Piece while I brief the guards,” Air Win said. “Good luck with your gauntlet and thank you again.”
“You’re welcome,” Purple Heart replied, inclining his head to the pegasus. Air Win took off towards the barracks, leaving Purple Heart and Navee alone before the blacksmith’s hut.
Navee looked up at her commander quizzically when he didn’t move to announce himself and enter the forge. Rolling her eyes, she trotted into the covered area, ignoring Purple Heart’s hiss to stop. She moved deeper into the forge, looking left and right for the resident blacksmith. The cyan pegasus paused for a moment, letting Purple Heart catch up. As soon as he had joined her, a coal black unicorn mare with bright blue eyes, a hammer and tongs cutie mark, and a stark white mane and tail appeared from behind a shelf of tools. The unicorn’s eyes widened upon noticing the unexpected strangers before narrowing slightly.
“Huh,” the unicorn said, her voice light, yet rough, probably from accidental smoke inhalation that came with the job of working around a forge. “I didn’t hear you knock.”
“We didn’t,” Purple Heart growled, glaring at Navee, who promptly ignored his look. “She just came in.”
“Aha,” the unicorn muttered, frowning. “I’m guessing you want something made, yes?”
“Not made,” Purple Heart denied. “Appraised. My name is Purple Heart and this is Navee. May I ask your name?”
The unicorn straightened. “I am Iron Piece, blacksmith of Mistakwe. What do you need appraised?” Purple Heart stepped towards a table cluttered with tools and rogue pieces of metal. He pulled the gauntlet from his pack and laid it on the table with a soft clunk of metal on wood.
“This,” the purple earth pony stated, “was given to me by Boomer, once a Lord of Gallopilli and brother of Lady Vale Blossom and the now ex-King Bastion.” Iron’s eyes widened again.
“An heirloom perhaps?” she mused, walking over to the piece of armor. Her magic spread to cradle it, bringing it closer to her face so she could peer at it. Her tail flicked and an eyeglass darted from a desk over in the corner to rest before her eye.
“Why aren’t you wearing it?” the blacksmith mare asked. Purple Heart shuffled his hooves and grumbled under his breath. Iron Piece looked up from the gauntlet, squinting at Purple Heart. Her left eye was magnified to almost comical proportions thanks to the eyeglass sitting there.
“Excuse me?” she said. “What was that?”
“I can’t wear it,” Purple Heart mumbled. “It’s like it rejects me or something.”
“Well, that isn’t exactly far from the truth,” Iron Piece mused, turning back to the gauntlet. “This gauntlet can only be worn by a member of the Gallopilli’s Royal Family.” She returned the piece of armor to the table and removed the eyeglass. She turned to see a blank faced Purple Heart and a concerned Navee.
“So I got trolled by an old fart?” Purple Heart ground out. “Great. Just… great.”
Iron Piece shrugged. “I don’t know. This is probably older than Boomer and Bastion combined. There are several enchantments woven directly into the metal. Some maintain the metal so that it lasts longer. A few increase the physical force of any attacks. There’s even one that allows the gauntlet to be charged by an magic stone to give its attacks the properties of said stone. But, it looks like only a member of the Gallopilli Royal Family can use it without serious repurcussions. I’d say Boomer stole it before fleeing Gallopilli, not knowing its value aside from being a scrap of armor from the Royal Vault.”
“You know a great deal for being a simple, humble blacksmith in a backwater town,” Navee commented, narrowing her eyes at the unicorn. Iron Piece glared right back at the cyan pegasus.
“Well, a banished Metal Weaver has to make a living somewhere, huh?” the black unicorn snapped back. Purple Heart arched an eyebrow at Iron’s vehemence.
“I take it you aren’t particularly fond of Bastion, eh?” he wondered out loud. Iron Piece stiffened, but nodded in affirmation.
“He banished me after a selection of my enchanted weaponry was stolen,” she explained. “I was a journeypony Metal Weaver working out of a shop in the Market District of Gallopilli. My work was hailed as the best in the city. So obviously, some thief decided to steal my hard-made crafts.”
“Welp, I know where they ended up,” Purple Heart said. “A bandit chief got them from Boomer. Some comrades and I defeated the chief and Boomer a while back.” Iron Piece blinked in surprise before inclining her head.
“I am grateful,” she said humbly. “Perhaps I can strip the enchantment causing the gauntlet to reject you in compensation?” The purple earth pony nodded.
“That will suffice,” Purple Heart said. “How long will it take?”
“A day,” Iron Piece said promptly. “More if you wish to add anything.” The Purple Barbarian shook his head.
“Nope, just strip the rejecting enchantment and make sure none of the others have decayed,” he said.
“Very well,” the unicorn said. “Now out. I’ll have it ready tomorrow afternoon.”
As Navee and Purple Heart walked out of the forge, Purple Heart smiled.
“That went well,” he mused. “Now to relax and wait for Wits and Light to arrive.”
“I wouldn’t get too comfortable,” Navee commented. “You need to look at any requests from the Legion.”
Purple Heart groaned. “Ugh, fine. Let’s find a room at a tavern first though.”
“Very well, sir,” Navee inclined her head.
“Hopefully, Wits and Light haven’t gotten into too much trouble,” Purple Heart wondered as they walked down the dirt road. “Knowing us though, I wouldn’t be too surprised if they got into trouble as soon as we parted ways...”