The Last Charger 9
The rest of the trip wound up being nowhere near as exciting as the raid on the sugar plantation. Just like we’d guessed, no pirates or raiders gave an outbound ship any trouble. None of them could know we had a cargo hold full of sugar, and if they did they wouldn’t have our contacts to sell it. Without the Council’s contacts it would take a lot of time and effort to sell off an entire cargo ship full of sugar, and pirates usually wanted cargo they could move fast so they could get back to raiding.
Once we hit open water, it was smooth sailing until we got pretty close to Equestria. I was a bit surprised Torch had set our course for straight into the belly of the beast, heading for Baltimare. It might’ve been a nice trade port, but it was also where all the Equestrian naval patrols going up against the Necrocrats were headquartered at. Odds were they’d have something to say about a Freeport-flagged ship that was clearly an old slave vessel sailing into port.
Then again, maybe that was Torch’s plan. Sail in as openly and blatantly as possible, so they’d know we weren’t up to any funny business. Not a bad move, all things considered. After all, we were trying to set up a diplomatic meeting. Being honest, open, and straightforward was the right move. Plus sailing in openly might stir up a fuss, which is always a good way to get the attention of someone important.
We’d barely gotten into Horseshoe Bay before a naval patrol ship ordered us to heave to for an inspection. I’d had my troops stow most of our weapons and armor as soon as we spotted the frigate closing in on us. We kept some basic sidearms and such. I wasn’t trying to hide that we were mercs, just make sure nobody thought we wanted a fight. One look at the weapons on that ship confirmed I’d made the right call. The heavy crossbows mounted on the ship’s deck probably outranged even Talon’s custom job, and while the broad heads were mostly made for cutting a ship’s rigging, they’d do just fine against flesh and blood, too.
Torch hopped over to the Equestrian ship with a copy of the manifest and some other papers, probably stuff from the Council explaining his mission. That just left the rest of us, sitting on the ship and not doing much. A couple blue-armored naval guards came aboard for the inspection, while plenty more kept all those crossbows manned just in case we tried anything. They weren’t exactly pointing them at us, but I was pretty sure they could bring them to bear right quick if I got it into my head to cause trouble.
Since I’m fond of being alive, I sat back, kept my mouth shut, and told everyone else to do the same. Normally I would’ve tried a bit of small talk, but they didn’t even have an an officer heading up the inspection party, so there wasn’t much point to it. Besides, the Equestrians didn’t seem like they were in a very chatty mood. The inspection wrapped up pretty quickly once they found our hold full of sugar, and sergeant came up to me. “Your cargo’s contraband.”
I shrugged. “Normally, but the client’s got permission. He’s clearing that up with your captain right now.”
“Mmm.” He shrugged, and seemed content with that answer. “Otherwise, no issues. Just keep everyone on deck, no funny business, and as soon as your client’s done, you can go on your way. At least, as long as his paperwork checks out. If it doesn’t ... well then things could get a lot more complicated.”
I shrugged again. “He said it was all good. Gonna be pretty annoyed with him if we came all this way on a wild goose chase, especially when a chunk of my pay comes from the profits of selling off all this cargo.”
The sergeant let out a vague sort of grunt, then got back onto his own ship. After that there wasn’t much to do but sit around and wait for Torch to finish up his business. Sitting around and waiting was never my favorite thing to do, especially not with that many armed ponies staring down at me with weapons at the ready. Not to mention they were all standing around in that damn fancy armor of theirs. Strikers traditionally didn’t bother dying or fancying up our armor, but I had to admit that dark blue the Equestrians were using looked good. And, on a more practical level, dye was great at hiding scratches, pits, and rust spots. My guys’ gear looked a lot shabbier by comparison.
Feather it, once we got our pay from this job plus the windfall from all the sugar, we could afford to get our own gear a bit fancied up. I was about due for some new armor anyway. My old set of mail wasn’t bad, but I’d had it since before I left the clan, and it was showing its age. I could still patch it enough to keep it in working order, but if I had the cash to get a new set why not? Maybe fancy my axe up a bit too, long as I was here.
Eventually Torch came back, grinning wide enough that it was a safe bet his papers had checked out. “Good news, we won’t be arrested for smuggling. Not that we would be very good smugglers if we were coming in this blatantly.” He nodded to one of the uniformed pegasi who had just taken off from the frigate. “They’re sending a messenger ahead, so there should be someone important waiting for us when we get in.”
“Nicely done.” It had all gone nice and smoothly. Too smoothly. “So what’s the catch?”
“No catch,” Torch assured me. “Though one or two caveats. Obviously you’ll want to keep your troops as they are now, if not a bit more polished. Going around looking respectable is the order of the day. You’re supposed to be my honor guards to make me look like a very important and respectable pony.”
I grunted and nodded. “Let me guess, if we look too battle-ready it’ll put the Equestrians on edge? Don’t worry, I can whip them into parade order. Been a long time since we needed to do anything like that, but clan training tends to hammer those lessons in so deep they never really forget ‘em. By the time we hit land, they’ll be ready.”
We spent the rest of the trip making good on that promise. When my troops weren’t polishing every last piece of kit to a mirror sheen, we were going through all the nice fancy formation marching that didn’t have much in the way of practical use, but impressed the hay out of any civvies who saw it. Which I suppose actually was a practical use when looking nice was the main point of this whole thing.
On top of cleaning up our gear and smartening up our maneuvers, we also had to make ourselves look a bit better. There were limits to what we could accomplish on a ship in the middle of the ocean, but just giving everything and everyone a good scrub-down before taking a pair of scissors to any scruffy-looking hair and beards went a long way. Naturally I was one of the first to be shorn. I barely recognized myself by the time they were done; instead there was this well-groomed stallion who almost looked respectable.
Talon also seized control of the ship’s rum supply and started carefully rationing it out. Much as it irked me, I couldn’t exactly fault her. We’d make pretty rotten honor guards if half the troops were stinking drunk, and the other half were hung over.
Funny enough, all the ceremonial work actually kind of paid off, at least in terms of morale. Guess it figures, soldiers like feeling fresh and looking smart just as much as anyone. Once I got over the initial shock of seeing myself cleaned up, I was pretty happy with what I saw. Maybe if I went around looking halfway respectable more often I’d actually start acting like it too.
We finally got to Baltimare a couple hours after we finished making ourselves look good. The docks were pretty busy, a lot more traders than I would’ve expected, and a few navy ships using spare dock space. The warships figured, and I suppose with Freeport and Equestria being on the outs there were more ships coming direct to Equestria instead of using Freeport as a middleman. All the trade ships that weren’t coming to us anymore had to be going somewhere.
As the ship pulled into its slip, I saw we had a welcoming committee waiting for us. A cluster of officers, nobles, and probably a few curious onlookers were hanging a ways back, while up front was what had to be a magus flanked by a couple naval guards. The fancy robes were usually a pretty good giveaway, not to mention she’d fancied up the rest of her own gear and what her guards were using.
Torch flew off the side of the ship, landing in front of her with a confident smile. Talon and I followed his lead, flanking him to match the guards on the magus. Considering even I’d cleaned myself up, it was no surprise that Torch had himself looking far too damned pretty for a soldier. How he managed to get his mane looking so nice using nothing but sea water and cheap soap... Maybe there was some kind of death magic to make hair look good? Wouldn’t be the craziest thing I’d seen magic do.
The magus stepped forward with a welcoming smile. Now that I got a closer look at her, the fancy breastplate she had on under her robes was actually made of ironwood, not proper steel. Odd choice, and probably said something about what kind of magic she used. Ironwood’s a fair bit more expensive and harder to work with than steel, and it usually only got used for stuff where metal wouldn’t work. Might just be a matter of showing off, but she didn’t look like a show-off. Her light brown coat and sea green mane were both nicely brushed out, but she kept them cut short and non-nonsense. Probably some kind of nature magic, then. It’d explain the wood, and dressing practical just made sense if she was an outdoorsy wizard.
When she spoke she gave away a Canterlot accent that seemed to be at odds with the rest of her relatively grounded appearance. “Torch Charger, I presume? It’s a pleasure.”
Torch answered her smile with a disarming grin. “Indeed I am, though the pleasure is all mine. The vessel that directed us here said there was an envoy waiting to meet us, but they neglected to mention how lovely you were. A terrible oversight on their part.”
The magus covered her mouth and actually giggled at him. “Well aren’t you a charmer? Careful though, my husband might take offense if he hears you talking like that.”
If not for diplomatic protocol, I would’ve snickered at the faux pas. Kid should’ve known he could get himself in trouble smiling and flirting at pretty mares. Torch did a good job rolling with it, at least. “Ah. I hope you know I meant no offense.”
She smirked at him, a hint of mischief in her eyes. “Oh I assure you, no offense was taken. Even a married mare appreciates the occasional compliment.” She cleared her throat. “Now then, let’s finish the introductions. Archmagus Evergreen Shimmer of the Southern March.” She offered him her hoof.
Torch took her hoof in his own, politely kissing it. “Then I am truly honored such an important pony came out to greet us. Southern March ... I believe that would mean Freeport’s in your assigned area at the moment, yes?”
“Indeed it is,” Evergreen confirmed. “I’m afraid Archmagus Brass was a bit put out over losing Freeport as his area of responsibility. Even if he had quite enough on his plate managing the rest of the Eastern March while I could focus almost entirely on the Freeport situation, an Archmagus never likes to lose influence.”
“And I can tell you’ve been quite busy.” Torch’s eyes flicked to the all the ships in port, then back down at her wooden armor. “If you can forgive a slightly probing question, you’re a dendromancer, aren’t you? A wood magic specialist would be uniquely suited to supporting a naval endeavour.”
“Arguably every bit as useful as a hydromancer,” Evergreen agreed with a hint of a proud smile. “I’ve certainly found plenty of work to do. As you might have heard, Equestria has been stepping up its anti-slavery patrols. Our shipwrights are very good, but none of them can fix a downed mast in a single day with no fresh materials, and make it stronger than it was before.”
“Then both your own fleet and Freeport owe you a debt of gratitude.” Torch grinned and tipped his head to her. “The Council greatly appreciates your navy’s efforts, and the good work you’ve done disrupting the slave trade. We’re doing what we can, but a resistance movement can’t equal the resources of a full-blown national navy.”
“You might not have our resources, but you’ve achieved incredible things with what you have.” Evergreen smiled back at him. “Especially since an outlaw resistance movement can move a bit more freely than we can. Equestria appreciates the efforts of the Council in combating the scourge that is slavery.” A hint of a frown tugged at her lips. “Or at least those of us who want to actually end slavery appreciate it.”
That got Torch’s attention, and he quirked an eyebrow curiously. “I was under the impression that Equestria was quite united on the matter.”
Evergreen’s frown got a bit bigger. “We’re united on the principle of ending slavery. How much everyone is willing to sacrifice to actually end it is an entirely different matter, I’m afraid to say. Just because they dislike slavery doesn’t mean they’re willing to pay higher taxes and send their children into the navy to actually fight against it.”
Torch sighed and nodded knowingly. “Ah, yes, it’s like that. They’re staunch supporters of abolition, so long as it doesn’t cost them anything and they don’t have to take any risks or make any sacrifices to make it happen.”
“A problem I suspect we’re both all too familiar with.” Her eyes flicked out over the bay. “No amount of well-wishers can change the fact that the scourge of slavery in Freeport will not come to an end without the sacrifice of blood and treasure. Getting the public to go along with that has been a harder process than I’d like, but we are starting to build up a lot of momentum. The sugar embargo has won a surprising amount of popular support, and I’m sure all the beekeepers are quite happy with the increased demand for honey as a substitute. Not to mention the fact that the Corps has a staunch and outspoken abolitionist directing our operations against Freeport.”
“Certainly signs that the wind is in our favor,” Torch agreed. “Which is precisely why I’ve come here to see what I can do to speed the process up.”
“You certainly picked the right time for it,” Evergreen agreed. “Public sentiment is turning in our favor, all we need is something to push it past the tipping point. We’re going to need to carefully prepare our message.” She hesitated a moment, then carefully added. “Especially when there are a few potential complications on account of your family name, if I might be so forward.”
Torch grimaced and nodded. “I haven’t forgotten. If I might be honest, it’s part of why I hadn’t come to Equestria sooner. My uncle’s actions are inevitably going to hang over my head and complicate any attempt to advocate for my cause, especially when Magnus Kicker is the current head of Equestria's military.”
“Yes, the stallion who made his reputation defeating your uncle.” Evergreen sighed and shook her head. “I know you probably don’t want to hear it, but we need to win him over to make this work. He’s one of Her Highness’ most influential advisors, and considering we’re discussing a military intervention, his opinion will carry a great deal of weight.”
“Yes, I had expected it would.” Torch went silent for long enough to make it just a bit awkward. “Well, I suppose we will cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Evergreen grimaced. “And you will have to cross it, I’m sorry to say. Everyone who’s opposed to getting tangled up with Freeport will use your relationship with Magnus Charger against us. It’s not a secret that your uncle’s attack is what finally pushed Equestria over the edge into active opposition to the current regime in Freeport. However, it also means that there’s quite a bit of overlap between those who oppose slavery for ideological reasons, and those who simply dislike Freeport in general. Slavery is something most everypony can get around to say is evil about Freeport. A very distinct and recognizable red line that separates us from Freeport. The necromancy as well. However, that makes it hard to distinguish the anti-slavery forces from the anti-Freeport.”
“And the ones who simply dislike in general Freeport might not care for Magnus Charger’s nephew, regardless of the cause he supports,” Torch concluded. “Many of our nominal allies are just in it to see the Necrocrats burn, and couldn't care less what happens to the islands after. Or would like to use the conflict to engage in a bit of petty imperialism to build up Equestrian influence in the islands.”
“Exactly. Our anti-slavery coalition is a touch more fragile than I would like.” Evergreen put on a brave smile. “Nothing we can’t overcome, though. I’m reasonably sure we can argue that the sins of the uncle are not that of the nephew, especially when you were too young to have had anything to do with that invasion. It will mean you’re going to have to denounce your uncle to some degree. Possibly very loudly and vehemently if that becomes a sticking point for supporting you. A lot will depend on Magnus Kicker. If the one who stopped your uncle’s invasion is willing to back you, it becomes much harder to oppose you on that front.”
“Ah.” Wasn’t hard to guess what was going through the kid’s head when he heard that. Needing to play diplomatic with Magnus at all clearly rankled him, and now he’d have to push for it even harder than he’d like. Still, what the Archmagus was saying made a lot of sense. Torch took a deep breath, and looked like he’d swallowed a really nasty hangover cure. “He was my uncle, and I loved him ... but what he did was a mistake.”
Evergreen seemed to pick up on his mood, reaching over to pat his shoulder. “If it would make things more palatable, we can focus on the invasion itself and put less emphasis on your uncle. I know the cause comes first, but there’s no need to open up old wounds if we can avoid it.”
Torch nodded, a lot shorter and sharper than his usual body language. “That can work. I’m sure it would look better if it didn’t seem like I was pulling teeth every time I made a public statement.”
“Quite,” Evergreen agreed with rueful chuckle. “It’s very important for you to seem honest and genuine. A slightly weaker statement you’re fully behind is much better than a stronger one you clearly have to force out. Hopefully it won’t be too much of an issue. Magnus Kicker doesn’t seem inclined to hold a grudge. In truth, he hates that the battle is known as Magnus' Folly. I’m not sure if that’s out of respect for your uncle, or just because some would doubtless assume it was referring to him. Whichever it is, he’s always said that the battle should have gotten a proper name like the Battle of Two Magnuses or simply naming it after where the battle was fought.”
“That would be more dignified,” Torch agreed. “Even if I don’t agree with my uncle’s actions, I’d prefer to not have his death be a subject of mockery. Although that’s far from the most important matter on my mind.”
“Abolition takes precedence over our personal goals,” Evergreen agreed. “The good news is that Celestia should judge you by your own merits, and has been staunchly in favor of our cause. I imagine you would have the crown’s full and open support were it not for political concerns. As it stands, she will certainly do all that she can to aid you while not being seen to openly do so.”
Talon leaned over and whispered to me. “You would think that if the queen is on our side, there would be no need for this mission at all.”
“It’s rarely that simple,” I answered. “Getting into a war with Freeport without the public on her side could end very badly. Doubt she’d want to risk setting off a bunch of tax and draft riots.” Like they’d been saying, the public changed their opinion on abolition real quick when you asked them to give up anything of their own for it.
I hadn’t quite caught what question Torch asked on account of my little side chat with Talon, but I did hear Evergreen’s response. “In brief, I think she wants to help more than she feels she can. She's sympathetic to our cause, and is doing what she thinks she can get away with.” She frowned back at the city. “But as she’s explained to me, there are countless political concerns. Equestria getting into a conflict with Freeport involves a great many factors that have nothing to do with her personal opinion on slavery, and this whole situation could explode on us if we’re not careful. We’d rather not touch off a big war between all the major nations unless it’s absolutely necessary.”
Torch sighed and nodded. “Then we’ll be careful. Anything else you wanted to talk about before we dive into the belly of the beast?”
“There are a countless number of details I’ll want to go over at some point, but nothing that can’t wait until later. For now...” She waved towards the crowd of onlookers. “We have introductions to make. The first of many if you’re going to launch a campaign to win over the public and capture popular imagination.”
Torch grinned. “Ah yes, I suppose it is time for me to play the part of a dashing young rebel leader. Well, it’s far from the most farcical performance I’ve put on, especially if it delivers us the aid we so desperately need. Let’s not keep the public waiting.”
I felt the need to point out one rather important issue before Torch went off to start grandstanding in front of half the city. “The sugar?”
Evergreen answered me. “Oh, yes, the sugar. I’d almost forgotten.” She drew out a letter from within her robes. “Her Highness will be purchasing your entire stock. We’re prepared to offer five hundred bits for each bag. I assume that will be acceptable?”
I wasn’t a merchant, but when I’d done the numbers on how profitable this mission would be we’d assumed we wouldn’t get that much for per bag. Not that I was going to complain. “That should work just fine.”
Torch seemed to be thinking the same thing I was. “Quite a bit above the going rate.”
Evergreen smirked. “Princess Celestia prefers Freeport sugar for her cake, and while she fully supports the ongoing embargo against Freeport, she’s hardly going to miss the opportunity to obtain some from a reputable source. Far better to stock up now. Who can say when we’ll get another chance? If the price is a bit higher than normal, call it an incentive to sell us the entire stock at once rather than spend a few weeks taking bids and selling it off piecemeal.”
“Not to mention it’s an excuse for her to directly transfer money into the Council’s coffers,” I murmured to Talon.
Torch probably figured the same thing, judging by his smile. “Thank you quite kindly, Archmagus. Now then, I believe we were about to start the introductions?”
“Indeed we were.” Evergreen lead him down the docks, towards the best-dressed members of the crowd. “Now this right here is Baron Black Forest...”
The couple days passed in a blur of introductions and public appearances. Torch seemed to be doing his level best to make himself a celebrity across all of Equestria. At first I wasn’t sure why we were wasting the time, but I suppose it made sense if he was trying to win over the public when that was half the point of our visit. Plus we were still headed towards Canterlot, just taking the time to stop at all the little trade towns on the road. It slowed us down a little, but apparently there was some big fancy party coming up in Canterlot. Torch and Evergreen both figured that showing up in Canterlot for that would be the best way to make an impression.
The plan seemed to work, judging by how he was the talk of the Grand Galloping Gala. Of course, that meant me and Talon were stuck following along on escort duty while the rest of the company helped out with security. Apparently Freeport’s ambassador had put up a huge fuss when he found out Torch had been invited to the party. You’d think an ambassador wouldn’t be dumb enough to send someone to kill Torch at a huge public event, but the Necrocrats had never impressed me with their ability to carefully think things through.
That still left me with not a lot to do other than sit around keeping my eyes open. So far, about the only thing Torch seemed to be in danger of was drowning under the tide of eager young noblewomen. From the looks of things, he could get a pretty good start on rebuilding his clan just by making the rounds at court. Figures they’d all go head over hooves for a fancy looking pretty boy who was also a dashing young rebel and had a tragic past. If the kid ever decided to settle down, he’d have no shortage of mares eager to help him get started on rebuilding the clan.
Pity I wasn’t having anywhere near that much luck when it came to socializing. Big shock, all the fancy nobles didn’t have much use for a hard-bitten rough around the edges merc. I didn’t even have Talon to keep me company. She was off chatting with Evergreen Shimmer. Maybe I could try to find one of the other magi or a military officer? Not that I knew all that much about spellcasters, but at least they went out into the world and actually did things. That gave me more in common with them than any of the nobles. As for the Guard ... well even if most professional army types looked down their noses at mercs, we’re still in the same line of work.
I was just about to try my luck with a couple of them when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and found myself face-to-face with what had to be one of the fanciest, most elaborately dressed up guests at the gala. More importantly, he was also one of the only non-ponies I’d seen so far. I only knew one gryphon who’d wear a huge ridiculous hat with that many feathers in it, and accompany it with an outfit that looked like he was trying to outdress the feathering queen. “Gaspard! Should’ve known you’d come here. Only place where that ridiculous outfit of yours can actually fit in.”
Gaspard grinned back at me, tipping his hat. “What can I say? I enjoy mingling with ponies who have a decent sense of fashion.” He passed me a goblet of wine, keeping another for himself. I took a sip and did my best not to grimace. Equestrian wine was a bit too sweet and fruity for me, not to mention lightweight. I was used to the bite of good old Freeport rum.
If Gaspard noticed me grimacing, he didn’t show it. Then again, that was one of the things him and Torch had in common: they smiled too much. Judging by what he said afterwards, he must’ve picked up on my mood a little. “Why my friend, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you weren’t enjoying yourself at this lovely little gala. It’s supposed to be the biggest social event of the year.”
“Well, you know how much I love mingling with the fancy well to do’s.” I snorted. “Never thought I’d see a friendly face here.”
“It’s not your usual crowd.” He hooked my hoof in one of his talons and gave it a hearty pump. “Good to see you’re still alive, you salty old war dog. It’s been, what, ten years, more? Have to say, I never would’ve expected to meet back up with you here of all places.”
I shrugged. “You know how it is; we go where the job takes us. Client wanted some escorts for his big diplomatic mission, and here we are.”
“Ah yes, it’s all about the job in the end.” He grinned and slapped my back. “You’ll have to tell me all about how you hooked up with Torch. Not that it’s hard to guess. You always were a big starry-eyed idealist under all the gruffness. I’ve been touring overseas with the company, making grand adventures.” He smirked. “And filling our coffers in the process, of course.”
That caught my interest. “Surprised there’s work for you in Equestria. Last I heard, they didn’t care for mercs of any flavor. Think we’re a bunch of scruffy disreputable ne’er-do-wells who’ll turn to bandits the instant they stop paying us.” Which to be fair wasn’t a bad description of a lot of the low-rung companies in Freeport.
“There are plenty who feel that way, but it's a big country.” Gaspard headed for an open sitting couch, and waved for me to join him. “Oh, sure, we have to make sure to keep our noses clean and play nice with Royal Guard, but there’s plenty of coin to earn if you know where to look. Monsters coming out of the woodwork to harass poor villagers, criminals for whom there are bounties, and the odd security job. The Guard’s stretched a little thin now that things are heating up with Freeport, and they appreciate someone filling in the gaps. It took a while to get a good reputation, but now they’re all pretty happy to see us.” He grinned and nudged my shoulder. “There’s enough work and coin that I don’t mind telling a potential rival that there are rich fields here. Perhaps not as rich as elsewhere, but there’s far less competition.”
“Huh.” Never would’ve thought to look for merc jobs in Equestria, but I suppose it figured. All the ships and guards off skirmishing with Freeport wouldn’t be keeping things quiet on the home front. Still... “Glad you and the Free Companions got it worked out, but you know it's way less complicated for you to work here than me and mine.”
“Bah, politics!” Gaspard waved me off. “There are ways for sufficiently nimble minds. I heard you went from Tenth Company of the Striker Clan to Belladon’s Brawlers anyway, so it’s not as bad as you make it out. Just don’t go around telling everyone the back half of your name, or just use something else if someone really wants to know. You can change your names again if you want to go back to Freeport later. Who will care when you’re making yourself useful today?”
He pointed over at Torch and his crowd of admirers. “And that’s assuming you even need to worry about that kind of thing in the first place. The Lunar Rebellion was centuries ago.”
“The War of Solar Aggression,” I corrected, mostly from force of habit. That name was clearly a load of horseapples that existed just to make a bunch of power-hungry jerks sound like they were the good guys.
Gaspard scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Whichever name you prefer, the ponies of Equestria don’t remember it as keenly as your clan does. I’m sure there’s the odd couple who still bear a grudge, but most of them don’t care if your however many greats-grandfather got into a fight with theirs. I doubt you’ll get any grief over it unless you bring up the subject yourself. After all, your clanponies were hardly arrested and disarmed the second you stepped off the docks.”
“Maybe mine weren’t, but I heard they got the better part of Sixth Company.” I scowled and shook my head. “Doesn’t exactly make me feel better about working here to know that there’s a company worth of Strikers locked up.”
“Locked up for slaving, not for their family name,” Gaspard pointed out. “I can’t imagine you’d be stupid enough to go against Equestria’s laws while working here. Besides, if you’re willing to take a job working with the Council, I doubt you have any love for slave traders.” He gave me a nudge in the ribs. “You really should think about moving to Equestria for a time. I’d be happy to vouch for you, and there are jobs I haven’t been able to take for one reason or another. I’ve heard things are rough in Freeport right now. Come work here for a few years. Safe jobs, respectable work, and decent pay. We could both go back to Freeport with enough saved up to really grow our companies, do a little investing for side projects, or just retire peacefully to our own private islands. The world is our oyster.”
“Huh.” I frowned down at my drink, swirling it. “Hadn’t ever really considered leaving Freeport. Funny, when you think about how much I hate the place.” I thought about that for a second, then shrugged. “It’s home, even if it’s a shithole.”
Gaspard chuckled. “Always sentimental. We’re mercenaries, Belladon. We go where the work is. Home is wherever you go to rest in between campaigns, or where you settle down once you’re ready to hang up your sword for good. The work is terrible in Freeport. Both in terms of pay, and the actual sort of things you have to do. There’s a reason I took the Free Companions out of that pit. The jobs we’d have to do in Freeport weren’t worth doing at any price, let alone the pittance they were offering.” Gaspard sighed and shook his head. “As you said, not the best of homes even in the best of days, and these are not the best of days. Quite the opposite, in fact.”
“True. Still...” I thought about it for a bit, then snorted and shook my head. “Never really thought about leaving before. Feels too much like giving up.”
“My friend.” Gaspard wrapped one of his wings around my shoulders. “What are you giving up on? A clan that you’ve abandoned? A nation filled with the undead, slaves, and masters who don’t appreciate us? Necrocrats always prefer to have their mercs die on the job. Means they don’t have to pay us, and get free zombies to boot. What does Freeport have that’s worth sticking with it after the last decade?” He scoffed his drink. “A port that smells like rotting wood and dead fish?”
I grunted. “Not saying it doesn’t suck. Just ... it’s still the place I grew up. I know some of the clan say our roots go back to Equestria, but I say a few centuries is more than enough time to get attached to a new home. You don’t give up on your home just because things are hard. Seems to me like that’s when you should double down and fight even harder.”
Gaspard grinned and nodded knowingly. “So that’s what's holding you down.” His eyes flicked over to Torch. “That dashing young fellow over there has infected you with a bit of his youthful optimism and stubbornness. Or to be more accurate, just rekindled it in you.”
I shrugged. “I do have a soft spot for the kid, yeah.”
“You don’t throw a company of mercs into battle over a soft spot,” Gaspard insisted. “Has someone finally melted your crusty old heart; gotten you to believe in something and take a chance on a cause? You know getting caught up in the client’s cause is the worst thing a merc can do. It’s a good way to lose sight of what it means to be a mercenary in the first place.”
“Yeah, I know, mercs can’t get attached.” Knowing when to cut and run was one of those skills every merc needed to have. Bailing on contracts at the first sign of trouble was bad for the reputation, but not bailing when things had gone wrong was bad for staying alive. Our ancestors in the old Pegasopolan clans might have loved their dramatic last stands, but the first rule of mercenary life is that you can’t get paid if you’re dead. Believing in a cause was a very good way to wind up that way. Anyone who really believed in something cared more about the cause than their own life.
“Getting too close to clients just leads to trouble,” Gaspard agreed, evidently guessing what had been on my mind. “So, what can you tell me about the stallion of the hour?”
I snorted softly and shook my head. “He's ... he sure seems like he’s a true believer in that damn fool cause of his.”
“I’m not quite so sure it’s a damned fool cause, as you put it.” Gaspard swirled his drink, then smirked at me. “I’m almost tempted to say you sound like you’re being excessively sour to hide your true feelings. In any case, the abolitionists are gathering momentum here in Equestria. You hear it in how they speak, what news ponies talk about. There’s a storm building, and when a storm breaks in Equestria the world has a way of shaking. Magnus’s Folly woke the Equestrians up in a way that hasn’t happened since the Morning Wars. Normally Equestria is happy to keep its own internal harmony, but when they get it into their head to start spreading it abroad...”
“Hits the world like a storm,” I agreed. “Sounds nice for everyone in chains, real good and noble. But ... thing about storms, they tend to wreck things.”
“Yes, they do,” Gaspard agreed, folding his forelegs over his chest and shooting me a loaded look. “And we both know where that storm is headed for.”
“Freeport,” I agreed.
“Exactly.” Gaspard emptied out his goblet. “I recommend being on the Equestrian side of the line once the storm gets going. Torch and his Council are noble, but revolution is a messy business even for the side that wins. There’s more coin here for one, and it should be far safer than Freeport. And if we do have to batten down the hatches to weather the storm...” He grinned and waved his empty glass at the ballroom. “I think I’d rather do it in a castle than on one of the outer islands. The food is better, and the company is much finer.”
“Maybe for you and the Free Companions.” I waved at his fancy outfit, then my own unadorned armor by way of contrast. “Not my type of company, and the food’s too rich.”
“I’ll grant it’s quite different from the life of a hard campaigner, but I think you could get used to it if you tried. Your palette will adjust to good food quickly enough, and as for company...” He pointed over at where Talon and Evergreen Shimmer were still chatting up a storm. A stallion had joined the two of the, presumably the Archmagus’ husband judging by how close she was standing to him. Gaspard smiled knowingly “Seems like your lieutenant is finding plenty of ponies to hold her attention. I imagine you could do the same if you put half the effort into finding someone to talk to that you put into grumpily sulking about how you don’t fit in.”
I scoffed and shook my head. “Talon’s always been nicer and chattier than me.”
Gaspard shook his head. “You wear your surliness like armor, don’t you? Or perhaps it’s more akin to camouflage. There are times I wonder how much I know the real you, hidden under all the layers of cynicism and grumpiness.” He shifted his attention back to Talon. “That’s more than your second just being sociable. Pay attention to their body language, and the flow of the conversation. Lots and back and forth, not just one of them talking while the other politely smiles and nods. They’ve found something of mutual interest to discuss. You might want to take that as a warning sign. Archmagus Shimmer has a reputation for being a bit difficult to talk to at gatherings like this. One of those sorts who tries to bring every single conversation back to the one subject she’s mildly obsessed with, and I’m sure you already know what that is.”
“Considering she’s heading up Equestria’s anti-slavery work and did a lot of politicking to snag the spot, it’s not hard to guess,” I agreed. “I’ve seen how she talks with Torch. The two of them have the same cause.”
“Exactly.” Gaspard chuckled and patted my shoulder. “Thus, the warning. She might put some ideas into the head of your lieutenant. Ideas are infectious, you know.”
I grunted. “That so?” I was pretty sure Talon had too good of a head on her shoulders to start getting all idealistic on me.
Gaspard glanced at both our empty goblets, then stood and motioned for me to follow him. It was easy enough to get our glasses refilled, and as long as we were up we made a quick stop by the buffet table. The food there wasn’t quite as hearty as I was used to, but it was still food and there was plenty of it. First lesson a salty old war dog learns: never turn down a chance to eat, drink, or sleep. You never know when for sure when the next time’ll be.
Once Gaspard and I were back in our seats with full glasses and loaded plates, we got back to talking. “Lovely as all the food and company is, it’s not the only reason I haven’t rushed back to Freeport. And no, I’m not just talking about the fact that money is good. There’s ... I’m sure you’ve noticed that there’s something wrong in Freeport.”
“It’s run by a bunch of bastard necromancers,” I pointed out. “I’d be more surprised if the place wasn’t a total mess.”
“There are times I wonder about that,” Gaspard frowned, rubbing his beak. “All the history says Ushabti was a decent fellow. That the Golden Path were reformers once, and the degenerate pirate kings usually had noble and upstanding grandfathers. It makes me wonder if there’s something about Freeport that’s just inherently corrupting. Something rotten in the water, or in the land.” He scoffed and shook his head. “Who can say? Whatever it is, now that me and my company have been out of Freeport for a time, none of us are too eager to return. We left it after the Necrocrats became too horrible to continue working for, and the last decade has done nothing to change my mind of the matter.”
I grunted and nodded. “Right. Didn’t figure it was a coincidence you cleared out right as all the Charger stuff went down.”
Gaspard grimaced in a way that had nothing to do with the piece of cake he’d been nibbling at. “I admit, that nasty business left a bad taste in my mouth. When the Necrocrats started openly killing off entire houses down to the last child, I decided that it was time to seek my fortunes elsewhere. I’m sure you know the history of the Free Companions. Suffice to say, staying in a place like Freeport didn’t appeal to us. We may be mercenaries, but we try to take jobs that aren’t ... morally repugnant.”
“Morally repugnant.” I thought about that term for a second, then snorted. “Yeah, that’s a pretty good way to describe most of Freeport these days. Truth be told, I think part of why I haven’t gone abroad to look for work is because I’m afraid that once I leave I won’t be able to go back again. Like I said, no matter how bad it is, it’s still home. But once I leave ... well then it stops being home, doesn’t it?”
Gaspard sighed. “It stopped being home a long time ago. All that’s left is to admit it. I think you and your soldiers would be happier here. You can give it a try, yes? If you don’t like it you can always go back to Freeport. Or don’t and go explore the world for a bit more. If nothing else, spreading your wings for a while will do you good.”
I grimaced. “Not sure it’s that simple.”
“Nothing ever is,” Gaspard agreed. “But I suspect you could find a way to handle all the messy complications of years away from Freeport if you really wanted to. In my experience, any telling you that ‘it’s complicated’ is just dodging away from giving a straight answer. Sometimes you have to take a chance. It’s the only way you’ll ever gain something better for yourself.”
I wasn’t in the mood to keep debating it with him. “I’ll think about it.”
Pretty sure Gaspard knew that was another dodge, but he let me get away with it. “Please do. Maybe talk it over with Talon. There should be time to think. If you’re worried about support, I’d be happy to add your company to the Free Companions. We’re already a motley crew of cost-offs and adventurers; what’s a few dozen more? Could even mix our companies a bit. Let your and yours get out of all those stifling trappings of your clan.”
He probably thought that was a tempting offer, but I didn’t care for it. I loved being a Striker, or at least back when that was something to be proud of. Dunno what was worse, that I hated my clan or that I still wanted to be part of it despite how much I hated it. Didn’t want to outright tell him no, though. Might ruffled his feathers. Better to give another dodge. Who says I can’t be diplomatic? Besides, even if I wanted to keep my clan, there was no harm in socializing. “Looks like Torch’ll be hobnobbing for a while yet. Could see what we can do.”
Gaspard grinned and clapped me on the shoulder. “Excellent.” His eyes flicked over to Torch. “Your boy seems to be becoming quite the sensation.”
I shrugged. “Guess that’s good for him. Sure he’d say that if getting half the ladies in Canterlot hot and bothered gets more ducats for the cause, that’s worth it.”
“A true believer, then? Those are rare things, and very powerful. And dangerous.” His eyes flicked over Torch. “I think I might go and see if I can have a chat with him myself, assuming I can pry him away from the ladies for a bit. Just because I’m not infatuated doesn’t mean I don’t want to see what all the riot is about. I hope you won’t be too lonely without my company.”
I shrugged. “Sure I’ll find someone to bother.” Worst case, I could always sneak a couple bottles of wine and head back to the guest quarters. Not the best thing to do in the middle of a party, but sometimes it was hard to care about the social niceties. Especially when Talon had been keeping a close eye on how much booze I got for the last couple weeks just to make sure I’d look respectable. Now that she was off chatting with that mage, I could enjoy life for a bit.
The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. It was a party, right? That meant having fun, and settling down for the evening in a big comfy bed with a couple bottles of wine sounded a lot more fun to me than mixing it up with fancy nobles. Not like I’d be any good at that anyway. Sure, Equestrian wine wasn’t as good as Freeport rum, but I’d get used to it after I worked my way through a bottle.
I took one last look at Torch and Talon. They were both handling things just fine without me. Really, having me around would just make it harder for them.
I snagged a couple bottles and made my exit. I’d probably catch Tartarus for it when Talon found me in the morning, but that was a long way off. Besides, I wasn’t gonna get that drunk.
Stats
Page generated in 0.023 seconds
Total duration
768 users online
707,345 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Sure you won't, Belladon, suuuure you won't.
Hooray for updates! Torch sure is a popular fellow, ain't he?
Hair is nonliving organic matter. Theoretically speaking, it's necromantically morphic.
Heh. The clans shall rise again!
Assuming Twilight's reign in this world resembles the one we're most familiar with, the political ripples could slosh oceans out of their beds.
No, it's just the consequences of mortal rulers and frequent revolutions. Over generations, ideals give way to those who can best claw their way to the top of the heap and keep anyone else from joining them. And then some new idealists come in and the cycle continues.
Okay, in the case of the Necrocrats, it wasn't a long wait, but still.
Famous last words.
Some thought-provoking discussion. Belladon has a lot of questions to ask himself about his home, his duty, and his ultimate loyalty. No wonder he's rather take a few bottles to his room.
Had a feeling the magus was going to be a Shimmer even before she was introduced. And the Free Companions moved to Equestria for a bit? Interesting. Clearly they move back at some point, given their help in "Tears in the Rain".
And the next morning he woke up in a cell. With Sixth Company. And a break out ensues. Because what wouldn't be better than a breakout and saving a portion of his Clan?
Plus its interesting how much interest Torch is generating with his appearance. Possibly even enough to get a wife to stray a bit? Or maybe the Husband/Wife duo might be into it. Who knows?
Finally the important part. Belladon is thinking. This is both good and bad. He is seeing there is more than Freeport in the world. But he also has stood beside Torch and freed slaves. And it made him feel good in himself and his troops. He will soon no longer be the hard bitten merc captain. He may soon be one that has drunk the Council Kool Aid.
War of Solar Aggression. Horsefeathers... unlesss they're calling it that because of Sunbeam, Celestia was about as aggressive as a fat cat on a Monday.
Now we see if Torch rolls that 20 on his Charm and proves Kukri right.
Okay, now that we have the two Magnuses mentioned, I wanna know about this War so dang much. :)
I wonder if Celestia has started sabotaging the Galas yet. Well, this one is particularly important so probably not, but if Belladon did end the Gala early she probably wouldn't mind.
The Free Companions sure are popping up a lot in Freeport/Winningverse stories. Hopefully there isn't anything actually corrupting about Freeport and its just hard to build up an enduring good government (particularly without an immortal alicorn to lead).
Its funny how Belladon is in some ways an idealist. Or rather was and arguably he's so cynical now because he wants to believe in something but they've failed him instead- his clan, Freeport, life. Moving to Equestria would probably be doable (and he'd probably be out of reach of that Necrocrat he's sort of working for now) but he doesn't want to abandon Freeport.
Looking forward to the rest of their visit to Equestria. I'm not sure if it would be better or worse for Belladon to just stay on the sidelines (though he probably prefers combat to politics), unless its time for another Torch interlude.
10062607
People can be very good at rationalizing events into ways that are more palatable for themselves.
This is either a brilliant way to very explicitly not smuggle, or a crazy way.
Brilliant, apparently.
Ooo, that Shimmer ancestor Kukri mentioned, or maybe the current Sparkle generation?
Too much of a charmer, it would seem.
Yep, the Shimmer.
Neat.
Hopefully Magnus Kicker is going to be cooperative.
Especially since it's not really a performance.
Lol, that sugar purchase is actually Celestia directly funding the rebellion.
Yeah, it's definitely her putting her money where her public support can't go yet.
Interesting.
Nice.
Very interesting suggestions from this Gaspard dude. Just working in Equestria as a mercenary company would be a far better life.
Interesting.
Oh shit, now there's a name.
It's too late for that, Talon already has those ideas, that ground has already been sowed.
Huh. That's a good question, might be something that Sunset gets to deal with someday.
Man, Gaspard is really trying to sell the Equestrian life.
Oh, he's gonna get so drunk.
considerign the council of Puzzle's time it has to be the water. here's hoping Sunset breaks the cycle.
Ah, the Free Companions make their entrance to the story. I was expecting them to show up at some point, but here's an unexpected place for it. Will be interested to see Torch's interactions with Magnus and Evergreen Shimmer as well.
10063070
I mean, that's basically what the Battle of Two Magnuses was, no?
He might have a good point, considering what became of the Council ... We can only hope Sunset & her friends are able to withstand whatever it is ....
Maybe it's my cynical nature speaking, but I don't think Gaspard running into Belladon was a coincidence ....
So he is going to be found the next morning passed out in Celestia's bed.
10066565
I think an attempt on Torch’s life while he’s gone is more likely.
But Kukri Doo would probably squeak with happiness. I'm assuming this is Evergeen Shimmer?