Princess Celestia The Changeling Queen: Stories Behind the Mask

by vren55

The History of Equestria Under Alternia Part 12 (589 AR): Battle of Stirring Bridge, Ch. 9 of the Saddle Arabian War arc

As Dreadnought was executing the Saddle-Arabian Grand Fleet, the land war continued to favor the Equestrians.

Princess Blueblood had sent the Equestrian 3rd, 4th and 5th divisions under Major General Athefled of the 4th Equestrian division (total 16,000 ponies) to defeat General Mountague’s remaining 13,500 horses. They were advancing southwards toward the Saddle Arabian capital, Breehoofen along the Chariot Road, Saddle Arabia’s chief highway, which was laid over a mix of grassland and hot plainsland, with outcroppings of trees sprouting around oases and rivers.

The vanguard of this army was led by the Equestrian 5th division under Brigadier General Argent Defender, who had assembled her land forces in several columns for better ease of movement, with her pegasi brigades scouting ahead and to their flanks.

3rd Division - Brigadier General Woodstock, 5000 ponies

• First Canterlot Brigade: 1500 unicorns, pegasi and earth ponies
• The Vanhoofer Artillery Brigade: 1000 unicorns and earth ponies
• The Fillydelphia Light Infantry: 1500 unicorns, earth ponies, and pegasi
• The Hollow Shades Brigade: 1000 unicorns

4th division - Major General Athefled - 5000 ponies

• 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th Equestrian Fyrd and Yeomanry Brigades, 1000 ponies each

5th division - Brigadier General Argent Defender- 6000 ponies

• The Equestrian Beefeaters 2000 earth ponies and unicorns
• Sherbrooke Rangers 1000 earth ponies
• The Eagle’s Brigade 2000 pegasi
• The Equestrian Zouaves (light infantry)- 1000, earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi

Opposing the Equestrians were General Mountague’s forces, who were rushing up the road to intercept the Equestrian army. Despite lacking his 1st division under Brigadier General Lancelock, Mountague planned to concentrate his force at the crossing of Stirring Bridge, a strategic location along the Chariot Road. If the Equestrian Army wanted to march to the Saddle Arabian capital of Breehoofen, they had to cross Stirring Bridge. However, the bridge itself was only wide enough for five ponies to cross abreast, or three Saddle Arabian horses. The river also fed a thick bank of trees that provided shade for anybody on either side of the river.

Mountague’s army though was exhausted from a fast march. He had managed to force his army to arrive first at the bridge, in the weaning hours of the day. But not all of his army had arrived. His 2nd division was at the bridge, but his 3rd division and reserves were farther back. That 2nd division had just started setting up camp when scouts of Brigadier General Argent Defender’s Equestrian 5th division spotted them.

Argent Defender immediately realized that if they let Mountague fortify himself, the Equestrians would never be able to cross. So she sent a missive to the army commander Aetheflaed and her colleague General Woodstock to back her up and attacked.

Six thousand Equestrians charged the six thousand Saddle Arabians. The Equestrians managed to get a company of earth ponies and unicorns across the bridge before the Saddle Arabians closed in, and vicious melee fighting ensued. Yet, despite the fact that both sides were tired from a long march, the Saddle Arabians hadn’t set up camp yet and hadn’t put on all their armor. The Equestrians had and had worked themselves into a frenzy.

As a result, the Saddle Arabians were forced to retreat and the bridge was seized by the Equestrians. However, Mountague was fast approaching with his 3rd and Reserve division. He had also rallied the four thousand horses of his 2nd division still in fighting shape.

Argent Defender’s division was mostly in fighting shape due to the surprise they had achieved, but they were now heavily outnumbered. The good news was that General Athelflaed’s division was approaching fast. In fact, 1000 ponies of Athelflaed’s 1st Equestrian Fyrd brigade had just arrived to reinforce Argent.

The Equestrians proceeded to form a cordon around the bridge. They could have retreated behind the bridge, but Argent wanted to encourage the Saddle Arabians to attack her.

Mountague obliged, mainly because he knew that losing the bridge would mean that the road to the capital would be opened. However, he didn’t simply charge his horses at the fortified Equestrians. Instead, he set up cannon on the nearby hills and opened fire.

The bombardment caused hundreds of casualties amongst Argent Defender’s division, but she knew reinforcements were incoming, and so got her ponies to dig in.

After an hour of shelling, Mountague prepared to attack, but then he spotted dust on the horizon. Realizing it was Athelflaed’s reinforcements, Mountague decided he was outnumbered and ordered a withdrawal.

The victorious Equestrians celebrated throughout the night, but Athelflaed and Argent Defender were rather concerned. Together, Argent Defender’s 5000 combat-ready ponies and Athelflaed’s fresh division were now more than a match for Mountague’s demoralized 11,000 horses, but where was General Woodstock’s division?

They wouldn’t find out until it was nearly too late.

Comments

[Dark Feather]

They wouldn’t find out until it was nearly too late.

Whit two major victories something bad is about to happen.
I smell havy losses on the horizon.

[Xanni]

"weaning hours" - "waning hours".

[Dragonwaz]

• The Equestrian Beefeaters 2000 earth ponies and unicorns

Wouldn't this be something more horsy like oateaters or appleeaters. I'm not saying horses can't eat meat, Lord knows that discussion is more bloody paste than dead horse at this point with how much it's been beaten, but being paid with some form of more expensive horse feed might fit.

Their nickname is Beefeater.
Where does the name Beefeater originate from?
The name Beefeaters is often thought to come from the French word - 'buffetier'. (Buffetiers were guards in the palace of French kings. They protected the king's food.) However, the name Beefeater is more likely to have originated from the time when the Yeomen Warders at the Tower were paid part of their salary with chunks of beef. This took place right up until the 1800s

[Zervziel]

9308828
At this point it would be Tethys. The other leaders came well before Celestia herself took power.

[MehJaz]

9331258
NIEGH! Breakth my heart nevermore! For I hateth Betrayal. *Hiiiiisss*