Huugaan looked at Kaal and saw concern in her eyes. Huugaan remembered the words Kaal had uttered five seasons ago when their collars had been made permanent, "So long as our owners stay out of battles we should get to wear these collars for a very long time." Yet right now that was the issue.

Haakhaar had returned from an early scouting mission to report a human camp established in the summer clearing. The A-frame for hanging new ponies had been pulled down and a crude fence of sharpened stakes was being built.

Haakhaar had also struggled to find game, unusual as the goblin never failed to return with food. But the combination of the humans hunting goblin territory, and the noise and stink they produced had driven most of the game from the area.

The threat to the Blue Hand Tribe was clear. Even if this was not a military raiding party, Haakhaar had been unable to determine if it was, the human's presence endangered the goblins food supply and way of life.

The chief and the elders had held council for two days. Now the tribe was preparing for battle.

Both Kaal and Huugaan ware being dressed in armour. It was a novel experience for the ponygirls. As the mounts of the chief's daughters, they had never gone into battle. They had done all the training that the other mares did. Huugaan was even impressed that their owners were not given an easy ride by the instructor. "Your dad would have me skinned if you came to harm due to lack of training, princess. So you and your sister will work twice as hard as the other novice's before I tell your father you are trained."

The goblin was good as his word too. Both Kel'der and her sister Kor had been drilled mercilessly and that meant both Huugaan and Kaal had too. Huugaan was praying now that all that training would come back to her when they attacked.

She now had greeves over her shins and pauldrons on her shoulders. Her owner, Mistress Kel'der, was now rubbing black into all the polished metal set in Huugaan's body as well as her collar. It seemed so counterintuitive given how her owner usually spent so much time polishing it. Glancing over at her lover she saw Kor, Kel'der's sister, was weaving a green cord through the links of the chains that hung from Kaal's nose. The cord would stop the chain rattling, the links were already black.

Huugaan was not surprised that she was armoured so lightly. It would have been heavier if they had been facing trolls or another goblin tribe. But in close-quarter against humans, the goblins found the humans were squeamish about targeting their human slaves. Thus the only concessions to armour were to protect against leg sweeps with greeves, and inaccurate arrow fire with the pauldrons. There would be a helmet too but it was put on after the pony was tacked up.

Huugaan became aware she was trembling and her owner spotted it too. "Calm then, Gorgeous. We are nearly ready but you need to save your energy for the battle."

"I'm sorry, Mistress. I don't know why I'm shaking. I don't feel scared. I think I ought to be, but I just don't know what to expect."

"It'll be just like a night practice drill. We were so good at those, remember?"

"Yes, Mistress." Huugaan realised that meant they would soon be hooded. Huugaan did not like the hoods. Made of light supple leather they covered the entire head save the nose and mouth. The hoods laced at the back and were fitted tight so that they did not shift. They blinded a pony completely. Huugaan and Kl'der had run countless exercises with Huugaan relying totally on her riders commands. When to duck, run, stop or jump. It had been terrifying at first but over time she had learnt to trust her rider. Eventually being confident to run, tilt or even battle sightless. But despite her prowess Huugaan still found the hood a claustrophobic experience.

Huugaan looked over at Kaal once more. Kaal smiled back just as Kor drew her hood over her head. Huugaan watched as Kor methodically laced the device so tight Huugaan felt she could make out Kaal's features beneath.

Then Huugaan was plunged into darkness and strangely a calm settled over her. Mistress tightened the leather and this time it was not claustrophobic. This time it was soothing. No longer did she see the clan preparing for battle. Now all she had to think about was obeying her Mistress. Pay attention and follow commands.

"Okhaac," barked Mistress Kel'der and Huugaan dutifully opened her mouth to accept the bit. Shortly after she felt the weight of a helm and then her Mistress climbed into the saddle.

"Sister," called Mistress Kel'der, "This mare needs to run. I'm guessing yours does too. Let's sprint them to the staging area. Run the nerves out of these fillies."

The girlthrash bit hard into Huugaan's rump and instinctively she leapt into a sprint. Trusting her rider to guide her Huugaan blindly dashed forward towards the threat to her, to her Mistress, and to the tribe that owned her, towards a threat upon their very way of life.