Legionnaires of Equestria

by thatguyvex

Chapter 3: Beartrap Fortress

Chapter 3: Beartrap Fortress

Trixie’s first impressions of what was to be her “home” in these cursed, cold, monster infested lands was of a ball of mud masquerading as a porcupine. Beartrap Fortress was built upon a steep ridge that sloped down towards a wide, fast moving river that was apparently called the Bear Bones. Trixie did not find the pun humourous. A thick, crude bridge of wooden logs and thatched together planks was built across the river, leading to a hard packed dirt road that wound back and forth up the slope to the fortress itself.

When Trixie had heard the word “fortress” she’d imagined some grand structure of high stone walls and vast turreted towers. Instead what she had seen was a mound of massive earthworks, walls of thickly packed dirt and mud reinforced with a palisade of spear-like logs. The walls formed a diamond shape, with an entrance at each tip of the diamond that faced one of the cardinal directions. A gate of tightly bound logs set in deep grooves could be pushed and hauled aside to allow or bar entrance to the fort, assuming one didn’t want to assault the walls, a prospect Trixie imagined would be… problematic.

Not only was the palisade itself covered in thick, sharp spikes shaped from tree trunks, the entire field in front of any side of the wall was a haphazard, muddy field of loose dirt covered in spikes, pitfalls, and of course beartraps. If one didn’t walk up the specifically safe but narrow and hard packed path that twisted back upon itself multiple times before reaching one of the fortress gates one would have to traverse a slog through thick, deep mud that was laden with deadly traps and wooden spikes, and all up a slight incline that would make such a slog even more difficult.

Trixie could only imagine what kind of nightmare it would be to attack the fortress, despite its crude appearance. Then again, after seeing what these Legion ponies fought, she didn’t blame them for focusing on function over form. As much as she still loathed what the Legion had done in drafting her and her fellow Equestrians, and as much as she still couldn’t get the horror of her first battle out of her mind, she realized that these ponies if nothing else had good reason to be as grim as they were.

If she had been born out here and been forced to fight monsters like this her whole life Trixie had to admit that she’d be a tad cranky and dour as well.

It still didn’t excuse the draft, but it softened Trixie’s ire somewhat. Not a lot, but some.

Well, that and her constant worry for Blossomforth. The peagsus mare had been taken off to be treated once the Equestrian column had reached Beartrap Fortress, and Trixie had yet to find out what had happened to Blossomforth. Trixie sincerely hoped the pegasus was okay. That wound on her leg had been… horrible. Trixie’s back had been slick with Blossomforth’s blood by the time they’d gotten to the fortress and Blossomforth, while she’d still been breathing, had passed out and felt very cold to Trixie.

Trixie tired not to think about it, but she kept imagining Blossomforth dead and it left her with a twist in her gut she couldn’t get rid of. Trixie wasn’t used to, well, caring. She usually kept to herself during her travels as a showmare and rarely formed any kind of attachment with another pony. It surprised her how much she was worried about Blossomforth, having really only met the pegasus. Then again, Blossomforth’s wounds were a direct result of saving Trixie’s life. If Trixie hadn’t frozen up during the fight Blossomforth’s life wouldn’t be in danger. It left a bad taste in Trixie’s mouth. She mostly kept her mind busy by examining the interior of the fort while she still had time. She and her fellow Equestrian recruits had been set up in an open area in the southeast side of the fort’s diamond shape, where numerous tents had been set up for them.

The fort’s interior consisted of five sections. The center was another earthen structure, almost like an ant mound, with a smaller wood tower and thick walled wooden building built into and atop the mound, almost like a miniature fort. This apparently was Beartrap Fortress’ headquarters. Around the headquarters was an open area where the roads from all four cardinal directions met in a circle. The other sections were built around these roads like avenues.

The northwest corner held a trio of stout log buildings, like large cabins. One was the field hospital where Blossomforth and the other wounded had been taken. Another was apparently a supply building where most the fort’s food, weapons, and other supplies were kept. The last building, smaller than the others and the closest to the center, was a smithy, with an open forge facing away from the other buildings.

To the southwest a huge H shaped building filled the space. This was the main barracks. From what Trixie had gathered trying to chat with the local Legion ponies each wing of the barracks held space for one of the fort’s intended regiments, though with the fort being understaffed only one of the wings was in use. That made Trixie wonder why she and her fellow recruits weren’t being set up in the barracks, but she couldn’t get any answer on that topic. The middle, connecting part of the H shaped barracks was the mess hall, which had an open area on its north side with a canvas awning over it, to serve those who’d rather eat outside.

The southeast was an open area with the tents Trixie and the other Equestrians were staying in, but that left plenty of open ground still, which apparently was a drill field for training purposes.

The northeast corner was occupied by several smaller cabins, which seemed to be for random use either as extra supply buildings or guest barracks in case the fort had to host additional units in the event Beartrap Fortress was used as a staging ground for additional Legion forces. This area also housed a small series of deeply dug pits lined with spikes pointing inwards. These were apparently prisons on the rare occasion an ursan was ever captured alive. In that event they’d be kept in the pits until a unit arrived to take the prisoners elsewhere for interrogation or disposal.

It was getting close to evening and so far Trixie and her fellow Equestrians had not been bothered, only being told to settle in and not cause any trouble. Legion ponies had passed by on occasion and it had been these ponies Trixie had talked to, but for the most part the Legionnaires seemed content to ignore their Equestrian brethren as they went about their business. There was a distinct air about them that these Legion ponies didn’t really want to bother with their soft Heartlander kin. Trixie had heard more than one muttering Legion pony talking about the “cowards” who weren’t “real Legionaries”.

Trixie kept her own heated responses to herself, not wanting to waste the energy. She was dead tired after the events of the day, and since nopony yet seen fit to give the Equestrians any orders Trixie decided it was soon time to get some sleep while she still could. But before she could do that she wanted to find out how Blossomforth was. She doubted she’d be able to get any winks in with the pegasus mare’s fate still left unknown.

Though if she’s dead… sleep isn’t going to be coming anytime soon, Trixie thought glumly as she started to trot towards the field hospital.

----------

“Are you sure you’re fit to give a report Sergeant? No insult intended by you look fit for a grave and I can wait to hear this until tomorrow,” said Captain Runeward, and Counter Charge stifled a grimace, keeping her countenance professional.

“Yes sir, I’m certain sir. I’m ready to make my report,” she said, forcing herself to ignore the pain that still radiated from her head wound. She’d briefly seen the fort’s surgeon to make sure she didn’t have a concussion, but she wasn’t about to waste the medical pony’s time when they had real wounded still to tend to. She could sleep it off later.

Runeward nodded curtly, seated behind his plain oak desk. He was a older stallion, a unicorn with a tan coat and red mane speckled with gray. His orange eyes remained sharp and keen despite his advancing years, however, and there was nopony in all of Beartrap Fortress capable of throwing up barrier spells as strong as the Captain’s. Runeward had fought on the Western front his entire life and ha been there when Beartrap Fortress had been first built nearly forty year ago. Counter Charge held the Captain in the highest esteem and had no intention of looking weak in front of him, so she gave her report on the march from the Heartland in a clear, strong voice, leaving out no detail that seemed pertinent.

Runeward listened with calm, intense eyes, and when Counter Charge finished he leaned back in his chair slightly, looking thoughtful.

"I wish our scouts had spotted you sooner, Sergeant. I’ve had to run patrols nearly triple the norm to try to keep these raiders in view, and still they keep slipping groups past us. If this fort was at full strength you’d never have run into that much trouble so close to our walls. I cannot commend you and your platoon enough for getting those Heartlanders through that ambush.”

“Sir,” Counter Charge said, her heart both feeling pride and sorrow in equal measure and she worked with hard effort to keep it off her face, “With all due respect, it was not just my platoon’s bravery that got us through. The Heartlander recruits fought beside us and acquitted themselves well.”

Runeward raised an eyebrow, “I suppose so. You sent most of them ahead of you, though, did you not?”

“Yes, I ordered the recruits to double time it down the road while my platoon moved to deal with the ursans, but a fair chunk of the recruits did get caught up in the fighting. I know from hearing it from my own platoon that a few of those Heartlanders actually got good hits in on the ursans. One even killed an ursan.”

“Truly? Hmm, perhaps they won’t be useless here, after all. At least not all of them. Still, eighteen casualties among them, twelve of those dead. I suppose it could have been worse, for their first time, but do you think we can mold them into something that will stand up to a protracted fight with the ursans?”

“Sir, I believe so. My own platoon got mauled pretty bad in that fight, too, but it would have been much worse if the Heartanders hadn’t fought as hard as they did. Some did… panic, yes, but that’s to be expected. They’ve never known fighting like we’ve known, sir.”

Runeward shook his head with a bitter laugh, “That I’m well aware of. I’m concerned that were I to send any of them out on patrol they’d just piss themselves and run at the first sign of trouble. Can they really be trusted to engage the enemy when ordered?”

Counter Charge nodded once, firmly, “They may be greener than the rawest of Borderlander recruits but come the end I think these ponies have the will and the heart to fight alongside us as good as any other Legionnaire. They have to be, otherwise what was the point of reunifying with the Heartland? What is the point of drafting them away from their homes and families if we’re not going to trust them to fight beside us as equals?”

“Perhaps. I still can’t say I didn’t wish I had a full regiment of properly trained Legion ponies to reinforce us, but these hundred Equestrians will have to do the job. As you no doubt have guessed we’re in a dangerous spot of trouble here.”

‘Spot of trouble’ was putting it mildly by Counter Charge’s reckoning. She couldn’t remember the last time they’d had ursans freely roaming this side of the Bear Bones river. Raids were not unheard of, but exceedingly rare, and usually contained to areas further to the south where there were more villages to pick from Counter Charge hadn’t seen ursans close to Beartrap Fortress in a long time. Then again Beartrap Fortress had never been this badly lacking in troops before. Operations taking place in the Heartland of Equestria had stripped many forts along the Western front of several platoons or in some cases entire regiments. Counter Charge wasn’t certain exactly what was happening in the Heartland besides the work to train the new drafted Equestrians, but apparently there was word of some big battle coming.

Counter Charge knew little, just the gossip and scuttlebutt spoken around camps and mess halls. The North had won some major victory against the wolven, but somehow that had revealed a massive group of potential traitors and saboteurs inside the Legion, and something about a plot to target the Heartland. Then there were rumors that something “big” was coming and that it’d go down in the Heartland, so many were being redeployed to that region. That meant leaving other fronts with fewer troops, however, mostly the Western one with the ursans due to the fact that the ursans had been very quiet the past couple of years.

Well, now the ursans suddenly weren’t so quiet, apparently.

“Sir, if I may ask, just what is the situation out here?” Counter Charge said with a tone that still held respect but was also… strained, “We weren’t expecting to get hit, and… I did just lose a lot of good ponies because of it. Why are the ursans over the river?”

Runeward’s eyes narrowed slightly but also just as quickly softened as he gravely said, “It started happening eight days ago. Everything was quiet, with not a peep from the ursan territories across the river, then suddenly our long range scouts reported fighting among the bears.”

“Fighting?”

“Some kind of clan war. We’re not certain. Markings from multiple clans were seen amid the fighting, and our scouts could only get so close. All we know now is that the fighting has stopped and the ursans have become ten times more aggressive. We think at least two, maybe even three clans have been forcibly united by one warchief. Right now I’ve received reports of ursans massing in the foothills west of the Bear Bones, and from that massing force smaller raiding parties like the one you ran into have been sneaking over. They’ve hit villages to the north and south, and I’ve had to dispatch almost half the platoons in the fort to protect those villages, which has left even fewer ponies here to keep an eye on things around the fort then there should be.”

His eyes hardened, “Fact is we need those Heartlanders trained and battle ready as soon as possible, because I’m expecting an assault on the fortress itself soon, perhaps even before the month is out.”

Counter Charge had felt her mouth go dry as she’d listened to Runeward’s words and she couldn’t quite keep from shaking her head in disbelief, “Three clans? That’s… by the Prince’s flaming mane that could be damn near a thousand bears! Has… has the fort ever been hit with that many before?”

“Never,” Runeward said with a solemn look in his eyes, “The last time that many bears hit the Western Barrier Lands was two centuries before you or I were born, back when Skywoad Keep itself was newly built”

“What happened then?” Counter Charge dared to ask.

“The fortress held for a few weeks, but was overrun. Skywoad Keep was retaken, eventually, but there were no survivors among the troops stationed here,” he said, but Runeward’s eyes became hard and a grim smile turned his lips in a thin upward curve, “But that was two centuries ago, before we learned spell arrays, or developed the hide-piercer bolts. And I don’t believe the entire massing force will hit us at once. It’s hard for ursans among the same clan to get along, let alone multiple clans. They may just collapse in on themselves before we have to worry about it, or they might just keep pecking at us with these raiding parties. At least for now. I’ve sent messengers to request aid from Redrun Fortress and Skywoad Keep, but if reinforcements do come it will take them at least ten days to get here, and I wouldn’t expect more than a platoon or two, since they’re in the same situation we are with most of their garrisons redeployed to the Heartland.”

“So, it’s bad then,” Counter Charge said, but she kept her chin up and squared her shoulders, looking the Captain in the eyes, “We’ll make a fight of it sir, no matter what. If we fall, it won’t be until that ridge is covered with dead ursans!”

“Well said, Sergeant, and it’s that attitude I hope you’ll impart to our new recruits,” said Runeward, “I’m putting you in charge of their training. You seem to have a great deal of faith in these Heartlanders. I trust you will take to the task of preparing them with the same fervor you used to get them through an ursan ambush.”

She nodded, managing not to wince at the sharp pain from some of her lingering wounds, “Yes sir! I’ll make sure that they are ready, sir!”

“Good, good. Well then, you are dismissed to get some rest and food in you, Sergeant. Oh, and services for the dead will be at two hours past dawn tomorrow.”

An image of Tower Shield flitted through her mind but Counter Charge forced it away. As soon as she hit her bunk, she’d… let all that out, but not here in front of the Captain. With a salute she excused herself and departed the Captain’s office, her head swimming with thoughts of what the immediate future would hold.

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Blossomforth awoke feeling a tad nauseous, disoriented, and with a burning ache in her right hindleg that reminded her of the time she’d clipped a wing while flying through the Whitetail Woods, crashing hard enough to break a leg. Rainbow Dash had challenged the whole weather patrol to a race and Blossomforth was never one to say no to a chance to have some fun. Blossomforth had laughed off the crash, though the busted leg had certainly been unpleasant.

This felt worse. She felt weak, and lightheaded, and the pain in her leg somehow felt clearer, more intense than that long ago memory. Opening her eyes she glanced around at her surroundings, taking it all in. She was laying on a cot in a long, rectangular room that was lined end to end in such cots. Some of them were filled, and for a moment Blossomforth was confused. Was this Ponyville hospital? It seemed darker, more dingy somehow…

Blossomforth heard a moan of pain off to her left, and looked to see a stallion in the cot next to her, his face half covered in bandages that were soaked red with blood. Blood…

The memories came back to Blossomforth in a rapid assault of images, sounds, and smells. The long march from her home in Ponyville to this cold, mountainous land. The sudden, violent ambush by those massive bear-like creatures. Ponies screaming. Ponies dying. Blossomforth remembered seeing that magician mare, Trixie, freeze up, a bear raising its paw to strike her. She remembered flying as fast as she ever recalled flying, pushing Trixie out of the way, then the horrible pain as the beast’s claws ripped into her leg and flank.

She remembered being carried by Trixie out of the battle, protesting the whole way, and then slowly passing out from blood loss.

Blossomforth noticed there were a few ponies moving among the wounded, checking on them, but none of these ponies were close to her. Trepidation fell over her like a heavy, wet blanket but she steeled herself and raised the blanket covering her to look at her leg. It was heavily bandaged, though the bandages were relatively clean of blood. There was little else to see, and Blossomforth was just glad she still had her leg at all. She experimented by trying to move it a bit but a hot lance of made her gasp and drop the blanket back over herself as she winced.

“Don’t be a damn fool,” said a voice next to her, suddenly, and Blossomforth started, looking over to see a young looking unicorn stallion had just… sort of appeared next to her bed. She certainly hadn’t heard him approach, but she recognized him as one of the ponies she’d seen checking the other patients. How he’d suddenly gotten over to her so quickly and quietly she didn’t know, and she gave him a sheepish grin at his stern, sour faced look.

“Sorry? Um… I’m Blossomforth. Nice to meet you?”

The stallion’s expression barely changed as he said, “Quick Needle. Head surgeon of Beartrap Fortress.”

Head surgeon? Blossomforth couldn’t imagine a pony so young being in such a position. Quick Needle didn’t look much older than she was. He had a dusky dark violet coat that reminded Blossomforth of the sky just prior to true nightfall. His mane was just a shade lighter, and both his mane and coat contrasted sharply with his nearly neon pink eyes. She reflexively looked for his cutie mark before she remembered that the ponies born in the Barrier Lands didn’t have those. Apparently cutie marks were a special magical brand that only appeared on those born in the Heartland, something to do with Celestia’s magic. Blossomforth wondered what this pony’s cutie mark might be if he did have one? A frowny face? He certainly didn’t look like he ever smiled much.

Interrupting her thoughts Quick Needle lit up his horn with a pink glow and a wash of magic ran over her, making Blossmforth feel tingly for a second. He made a vague “hmm” sound before raising a small notebook and making a mark in it with a quill.

“If you keep off the leg it should recover within about three days. You’re lucky. Your artery was only nicked, and if you had arrived any later then you wouldn’t be alive to look at my flank like that.”

“Oh, I, uh, was just forgetting you guys don’t have cutie marks. Sorry.”

“It’s fine. If you’re looking, it means you’re recovering. We need every breathing pony we can get our hooves on. Might recommend in the future you try not to get into melee range with a pissed off ursan. You got wings, use them to stay in the air.”

Blossomforth crossed her forehooves over her barrel and puffed her cheeks out, “Well if I’d done that then my friend would’ve died!”

“So nearly getting killed yourself seems a fair trade to you? Try to value your life a bit more, otherwise the next time I see you will probably be when they’re putting you in the dirt,” Quick Needle said, his voice tired and resigned, as if he expected to see Blossomforth dead anyway even if she was careful.

Blossomforth wanted to be annoyed with his manner, but seeing the hospital, all the wounded, and realizing that this was the pony who was responsible for tending to her leg, not to mention all the injuries of the others, some of which looked far worse than what she’d suffered… well that softened any ire she might have felt about his attitude.

“Thank you,” she said, “For saving my leg, I mean. And helping all these other ponies.”

He blinked at her, then shrugged, “I just performed my duty. Don’t thank me for it. Besides, that unicorn that brought you in is as much responsible for your survival as I was.”

“Trixie!” Blossomforth exclaimed.

Quick Needle frowned, “Was that her name?”

“Huh? Oh, yes, but I mean, “ Blossomforth pointed, “Trixie!”

Quick Needle looked over his shoulder to see the same blue mare trotting nervously into the hospital from the large double doors leading outside. Trixie looked around the dimly lit confines of the hospital and when she spotted a waving Blossomforth sitting up in her cot it seemed like Trixie all but fell over in obvious relief.

Quick Needle stepped aside as Trixie trotted over, “I’ll leave you two to talk. Don’t move or exert yourself. If one of the Legionnaires asks, tell them I haven’t cleared you for duty yet. “

“Thanks Quick!” Blossomforth said with a beaming smile. Quick Needle gave her an odd look, shaking his head and muttering something under his breath as he moved on to check on his next patient.

“…Hey…” Trixie said, glancing down and away from Blossomforth as she walked up beside the pegasus mare’s cot.

“Hey! Uh, you okay Trixie? Something wrong?” Blossomforth asked, trying to move her head to angle it up to look at Trixie’s face, to which the unicorn mare winced, her tone becoming worried as she shifted on her hooves.

“Now that she knows you’re alright Trixie was just… concerned. Concerned you might be mad at her.”

“Why would I be mad at you?” Blossomforth tilted her head, one ear flicking.

“Trixie took you away from the fight against your will, leaving behind another pony. Trixie thought you’d be mad at her about that.”

Blossomforth paused for a moment, looking away and her shoulders slumping, “Oh, right. Um, you’ve been out and about. Do you know if that gray mare survived?”

Trixie blinked, suddenly looking thoughtful as she rubbed her chin, “Trixie doesn’t know. She hasn’t looked. Trixie could do so, if you want.”

Blossomforth smiled, “That would be great! I… I’m sure she survived. She seemed real tough. And I’m not mad at you Trixie. I know you did what you did to help me. The doctor just told me that I would’ve died if you hadn’t gotten me here so fast. So thank you, for my life Trixie. I owe you big time.”

Trixie appeared startled for a moment, looking at Blossomforth with slightly widened eyes, but then she seemed to soak in Blossomforth’s words and puffed her chest out, almost striking a pose right then and there.

“Well, of course! Trixie’s incredible loyalty to her friends is legend in every corner of Equestria! Don’t worry, Trixie will think of some manner you can repay her in the future, perhaps by assisting with one of Trixie’s magnificent shows!”

Blossomforth giggled, “I don’t think the Legion is going to go for stage magic shows, Trixie.”

“Irrelevant! They will be in awe of Trixie’s mastery of the spectacular and will beg Trixie to entertain them and put some life into this dreary place. Perhaps Trixie’s unrivaled skill as an entertainer will tame the savage beasts outside as well! Or… or Trixie supposes she might have to hold off on performing her show until her time in the Legion is up.”

A thought suddenly striking her Blossomforth reached over and touched Trixie’s shoulder, causing the mare to stop looking off into the distance with a gloomy expression and instead meet Blossomforth’s eyes.

“Hey, let’s make it a promise,” said Blossomforth, “We look out for each other, and survive together. When we both finish our term with the Legion and get to go home, well, we’ll go back to Ponyville! You can do your show again, and I’ll help. I might not look it, but I’m quite flexible. I can do all kinds of aerial stunts, oooh, or you can do that trick where you saw a pony in half! I’ve always loved that trick! Uh… you can do that trick, right?”

Trixie snorted with mock indignance, but her smile was genuine, “As if there should be any doubt! A promise it is then.”

The two mares shook on it. The danger they were in, and the unsteady future ahead of them, at least for the moment, wasn’t going to put a damper on their spirits. For Blossomforth it was a good feeling, but one that was covering up a pocket of deep worry. She’d seen what she and her fellow ponies were up against and the images of seeing ponies savagely killed by ursan claws was buried in the back of her mind, a horror that she wasn’t about to forget.

The promise wasn’t just a whim, but a needed affirmation in Blossomforth’s mind that they’d survive.

No matter what.

----------

The air here was colder and sharper than it’d ever been back in Coco Pommel’s home city of Manehattan. Every time the wind swept through the fort the young earth pony mare tugged her Legion leather coat more tightly around herself. Coco had wandered away from the tents where the other recruits were resting and eating. She hadn’t much of an appetite herself and had slipped away while everypony was distracted with their food. She couldn’t imagine how they could all eat so readily after what had happened today. All Coco had to do was take one look at the stew served in simple wooden bowls and her mind conjured images of pony innards spilled across the dirt, of heads bitten clean off the shoulders, and of dying ponies with their chests ripped open, blood pouring out of their mouths.

It wasn’t fear or revulsion that made her lose her appetite, however, but rage. Anger unlike anything the gentle Coco Pommel had ever imagined feeling. Sure she’d gotten a tad irked at things before, often when Suri had her run some ludicrous errand, or fix stitching that Suri herself had suggested in the first place! But those moments of faint anger and irritation were nothing, a mere flickering candle, compared to the boiling volcano of raw fire that seemed to ignite in her heart when she remembered what had happened to those poor ponies who’d died that day.

The ursans… those monsters… she’d never forgive them! Nothing so horrible should be allowed to exist! Anything that would do that to a pony should be eradicated, to the last!

Coco shuddered, frightened. Not of the ursans, or of the battle, but of her own unstable emotions. She had never felt like this before. She could barely recall some of her actions during the battle, but still remembered the rage, and the feeling of release when she’d shoved her sword into the flesh of an ursan.

What’s wrong with me? she thought, wandering towards the northwest palisade, I’ve never wanted to hurt anypony or anything before. I hate violence. So why am I so… so angry? I need to calm down. Clear my head.

There were Legion ponies guarding the palisade, up on the wall standing watch. One of them gave her a stern look as she approached.

“What business do you have here, Chosen?” the earth pony asked, voice firm.

“Oh, I, well, I was just needing to clear my thoughts a bit,” Coco said, having almost walked right past the sentry without noticing her, “Can I stand on the wall for a little while?”

“Only those on duty should be on the-“ the earth pony began to respond, but then a voice called down from above.

“Let her up Buckler. I’ll take responsibility for her.”

Buckler glanced upward at the figure that’d appeared at the top of the ram leading to the palisade, a gray unicorn mare that Coco recognized as Coldiron. Buckler nodded once, curetly, saluting.

“If you say so, Corporal.”

Coldiron motioned for Coco to join her and Coco walked past Buckler with a slightly shy nod of her head, quickly trotting up the ramp. The top of the palisade consisted of thick wood planks that formed a walkway from one end of the earthen wall to the other. Packed dirt and support logs kept the planks solid, and the wall itself was high enough that it reached chest height on most earth ponies. The wall was built from thick wood logs, some of which created spiked tops, while others were angled outward like spears along the thick and steeply inclined earth mound that formed the outer wall. Coco could get a clear look over the wall at the thick tangle of traps and spikes lining the ridge that curved to the north, and then the river to the west.

“How are you feeling, recruit?” asked Coldiron as she led Coco to a spot where apparently Coldiron had been standing watch, looking west.

“I’m… okay, I suppose,” said Coco, her eyes turning downcast for a second before she shook herself and looked at Coldiron, “Is it always like that? The battle, I mean.”

Coldiron met Coco’s gaze solidly, “It is. Sometimes it’s worse. We got lucky today. If reinforcements from the fort hadn’t arrived when they did we might have all fallen out there.”

At the sight of Coco’s ears flattening and her eyes growing pained Coldiron added, “You fought well, though. Were you one of those ‘Royal Guard’ I’ve heard about that guarded Princess Celestia?”

“Huh?” Coco blinked in surprise, and then laughed, though it was half hearted at best, “Oh, no no no! I couldn’t be a Royal Guard. I’m a fashion designer! Or… or I was. I made dresses, hats, that kind of thing, back in Manehattan. Well, I kind of did. I was just an assistant.”

Coldiron stared at her for a second, then started watching the western area, speaking while her eyes searched for signs of trouble outside the fort, “A fashion designer. Unbelievable. What a waste it would’ve been if you had stayed in that Manehattan of yours, making dresses. You have a gift for killing ursans, I’d say.”

Coco winced, though Coldiron probably couldn’t see that, “I don’t want to kill anything. I just don’t want ponies to die.”

“You’ll find that a hard wish to fulfill out here,” said Coldiron, “Ponies die everday in the Legion. It’s what we were born to do.”

“Surely not everypony out here just fights and nothing else? You need ponies to make things, build things, grow food…” Coco said, waving a hoof in a vague gesture.

“Yes, we have our civilians who do that kind of work, but for every farmer or laborer we have another who joins the Legion. And even our civilians train in weapons and are ready to fight if a town or village comes under attack,” said Coldiron, her voice not harsh, just stating facts, “This is how life has been out here for generations.”

Coco was now also looking out across the wall towards the west, her eyes settling on the dark, thick line of pine trees that dominated the land across the river. It was like one huge carpet of dark, shadowy green, rolling across foothills and up into the sharp, jagged mountain peaks. Entire armies of ursans could hide in that treeline, in that massive ocean of forest, and remain unseen until they burst out of the trees to attack the fort. It suddenly made sense to Coco why so many trees had been cut down to create a sizeable field before the ridgeline, and along the other fronts of the fort. Otherwise an ursan could probably have just walked right up to the wall without being spotted first.

“So, um, I you don’t mind me asking, do you have any family, Miss Coldiron?”

Coldiron stiffened, “It’s Corporal, recruit, but, yes, I have family.”

“Do you miss them?”

“Of course I do. I get to see my brothers and father, once in a while. We do occasionally get leave to visit family.”

Coco glanced sidelong at Coldiron, “What about your mother?”

“…Dead. She served at Skywoad Keep as a Sergeant in the 17th Infantry. Met my father there, who was a local farmer. Saved him from an ursan raid. They managed to have my brothers and me over the next few years, but she died six years ago during another raid, defending the Keep.”

“I…I’m sorry.”

“I’m not. She died as a Legionnaire should, protecting Equestria. I’m proud to call myself her daughter. I can only hope to die with honor in the same manner.”

Coco’s eyes gained a faint gleam of heat in them as that anger rose in her, “Nopony should ever want to die at all. The ursans shouldn’t exist. They shouldn’t be killing ponies.”

Her teeth were grinding together as the strange rage rose inside her, making her blood boil beneath her coat and the chill wind from the mountains suddenly seem like a summer breeze. Coldiron looked at her with a slightly raised eyebrow.

“The only way to stop them is to kill them first, recruit. Never forget that. Wishing them away won’t work. We have to fight to protect our own. If you really don’t want to watch ponies die, then I suggest you train hard, and fight harder. Ponies will still die, but maybe your fervor will help keep a few extra alive. I know it certainly saved my hide out there today.”

Her anger momentarily forgotten Coco looked away, rubbing the back of her head, “I was just… I don’t know what happened to me. I just got so angry, and acted without thinking. I was so mad. I still… I still am, whenever I think about the ursans and what they did to those ponies. I don’t know where I got the strength to... to k-kill that ursan. I don’t know if I can do that again.”

Something passed through Coldiron’s eyes that Coco didn’t quite recognize. Sympathy? Not quite, more like it seemed that Coldiron was remembering something that made her features soften.

“The first time is the roughest even on those of us born out here. Don’t worry about it so much. When the time comes, you’ll find out what you’re really made of, Coco Pommel.”

For some reason having her name be used put Coco at greater ease, and for the moment she was able to ignore the linger rage inside her at the nature of this terrible war. She only hoped that Coldiron was right.

Author's Note:

Not a lot to say for this chapter, just an introduction to the fortress and some character interactions to get our characters settled in.

Comments

[wolfstorm56]

I'm really interested in where Coco's sudden anger comes from. Repressed memories perhaps?
And Trixie and Blossomforth are a sweet pair. Hope they get to do that show at the end.

[TheMainManeMaineBrony]

Coco pommel, the berserker.
THIS MUST BECOME A THING!

[nodamnbrakes]

I really like this, surprisingly. Most fics like this are awful, but this one is really well-written.

[son_of_heaven176]

Your premise isn't failing to interest me. However, I noticed a slight error in your portrayal of the Legionnaires' speech (I think it was during the Captain's report). You have them say "Equestrian" as synonymous with "Heartlander". However, the Border Lands ponies also see themselves as Equestrians. They'd specifically say "Heartlander" to distinguish the ponies in Celestia's realm from those in Terrato's.

[Rixizu]

I hope it doesn't take too long before the Legion ponies realize that the Heartlanders have the same blood flowing through their veins and they are no different.

[Follower of Chaos]

You make a good point Quick Needle, maybe if Blossomforth had something she could actually use from a distance like a crossbow, she could take that advice but as it stands I admire her willingness to save her fellow Ponies.

Like the friendship forming between Trixie and Blossomforth, not sure about that promise though. It's certainly a good motivator for them to survive but that sort of thing is also usually a very bad sign something terrible is going to happen. Hope they can make it through their 4 years relatively intact.

Coco's arc is interesting so far though it makes me question what happened to Suri? Was she drafted too but sent somewhere else?