ONE

Chapter Nine As the battle rages

The battle was to be here. Sky thought, cleaning her claws of the blood streaked there. She felt the weak heart of NorthStar bumping against her chest as she walked, encased in the pendant she wore.

She smiled grimly and glanced back at her pack, who looked as proud as she felt.

They emerged from the smoky forest, ignoring the frightened cries of the elves who wandered down to the pavilion, and were met with the sight of what they had done.

They stepped out onto the plains, and watched as an army, well, more of a band of ghosts and the strikingly shining figure of Luna come over the rise, yelling and charging, heavy machinery rolling behind them, pulled by mighty clydesdales.

Sky smiled again and barked. RavenFlight and DreadThunder came out of the shadows, hefting two small cannons. More wolves and elven slaves, growling and glaring, pulled trebuchets, catapults, ballista, and ammo for these machines.

"Fire." Sky whispered.

Flaming kegs of stone and fire screamed across the sky, making ghosts scatter. The Fort wolves howled and charged forward, ready to meet the spirit swords of the ghosts.

******

Mange darted forward and growled. He hid behind a small block of mud and sand, a little barrier for archers to sit and shoot at the enemy. They didn't have any archers in the Fort, but it was a good place to sit and fire magic spells and stuff.

Mange sniffed at the charred grass and peeked around the edge. Ghosts and wolves were battling! It was scary! He ducked back behind his safety wall and whined quietly.

Suddenly a wave of white light crashed down and slammed into the ghosts, who yelled angrily and were driven back as if an invisible wall was pushing them. Which, it was.

They shook as if they were writhing in pain, and then raced back to Luna, who frowned and shook her head, the movement she makes when she knows she's been beaten.

The small army disappeared over the hill.

Cheers erupted from the Fort wolves, like they'd been through a trying battle and they'd won with skill and effort. No, Sky had just brought down her thunder, and the other side left.

What was right and what was wrong?

******

Sky stepped forward into the light of the small clearing, stalking the black pegasus, carefully, slowly, creeping forward. She cracked a small twig with her paw, just to terrify him.

He took flight with a mighty whoosh of feathers and wings, kicking his hooves angrily.

But Sky unleashed a tendril of white light, and it formed into a jagged brown rope, which wrapped itself around Horizon's neck, and dragged him towards the forest floor.

He writhed and screamed, lashing out his sharp black hooves. Fort wolves rushed forward, darting around his flailing hooves, binding his legs.

His anguished cries sent birds flying everywhere.

"Human forms, my pack. We have an elf to track down."

They dutifully obeyed, morphing into their human forms, wobbling around on two legs for a moment, and then looked at her. She followed suit, turning into a beautiful girl with flowing silver hair.

She walked towards Horizon, who was sweating and neighing loudly. TigerFang Gray's horse. She smiled cruelly. What irony. She simply thought of a leather bridle with a gleaming silver bit, and it appeared in her hands. She relished her new powers for a moment, and then forced the bit into Horizon's mouth, and clipped the chin strap firmly into place and he glared and tried to bite.