What most people fail to recognize about warfare, Johnny reflected to himself, is that it's a damned boring business!
Four hours after leaving the main encampment, Johnny's cavalry column had pushed into a mountain pass which he had been informed led into Horde territory. One point, according to the Borials, had been a major trade route, but had not been used in many years.
Johnny had fallen back to monitor the patrol's readiness. It was important that his troops knew he was paying attention to them. Some, like the Ferengi privates, enjoyed the temperate rainforest environment and were in their natural element. Others, like Sergeant Zimasa and the three former Bajoran resistance fighters in his unit, could easily adapt to unusual conditions. But most of the patrol consisted of Humans who had spent most of their lives in cities or in space and found the outdoors a bit unsettling ordinarily. To say nothing of the outdoors on alien mounts with Bronze Age weaponry in a potential combat situation against a largely unknown enemy!
Suddenly the column stopped as Zimasa raised his hand. ~Back to the head of the column~, Johnny directed his glap'ta mount. While at least as intelligent as any horse Johnny had ridden, the added bonus of telepathy was almost a liability to the glap'ta. The first hour of the patrol had largely been spent teaching the beasts to respond only to the commands of their individual riders; most of the second had been spent teaching the animals, ordinarily draft animals or post mounts, the niceties of cavalry formation.
For all their size, the glap'ta moved very quietly, if somewhat less stable than a horse or even a camel. Now I understand why we weren't given bows! It'd be impossible to aim from the back of one of these, Johnny remarked to himself. In under a minute, his mount moved from the tail position of the column all 150 meters to the point position.
"What is it?" Johnny asked Zimasa quietly.
"The space ahead of us doesn't look quite right compared to the rest of the forest. Also, I see something about fifty meters ahead which may or may not be metallic." Sergeant Zimasa, like all Andorians, could see partially into the near-infrared spectrum, but describing what he saw to others not possessed of such a faculty was often difficult. Especially without the universal translators they had all come to rely so much upon!
"Sergeant, hold the column here. Private Zog and I will go forward to investigate. If we do not return within thirty minutes, return to base camp and report directly to Captain Maruu. Private, you're with me!"
The tall Human officer and the diminutive Ferengi private dismounted and moved forward toward the area pointed out by Zimasa.
After having been mounted for over four hours, walking was a strange sensation for the two men. It probably took them about half as long as normal to reach the small clearing, and the metal object contained therein.
It was definitely metal, though badly corroded; a shape recognized by all personnel of every military organization throughout three quadrants. A Klingon bat'leth.
But no self-respecting Klingon would have left his most prized possession in such disorder. He had to have parted with it unwillingly...or unknowingly...
Private Zog looked around the clearing, hoping to find other weapons or other evidence of what may have happened in the clearing. He found it.
"Lieutenant, sir, I think you should see this," Zog whispered, pointing at the rotting stump of a long-dead tree.
Johnny approached. Behind the tree were the skeletal remains of a Klingon warrior, complete in the rusted and tarnished remnants of his battle armor. A large arrow, almost as long as Zog was tall, protruded from the fallen warrior's rib cage. Farther away, in less sophisticated but equally decayed armor, was the skeleton of another warrior, more reptilian in aspect. At least one arm was missing and a Klingon dk'tagh dagger was firmly wedged beneath the alien warrior's breastplate. Johnny regarded the Klingon again. Sto'Vo'Kor claimed this warrior in honorable combat, then, he thought as he picked up the rusted bat'leth.
The two returned to the rest of the column. Sergeant Zimasa reported to Johnny.
"Sir, there's movement in a 180 degree arc about 200 meters ahead of us. It looks like maybe eight to ten riders with mounts!" Zimasa told Johnny.
"Sir, I'm hearing them now!" Zog confirmed. They had to be moving awfully quietly to escape Ferengi hearing before 200 meters! Johnny thought with alarm.
Suddenly a huge arrow flew through the woods and slammed straight into Corporal Farouk's chest. He fell with an agonizing scream.
"Okay, pony ride's over! First squad, deploy as skirmishers and engage the enemy!!!"