The next few hours were a blur. But finally local people were there and, helping. He managed to get back to the bunker and get washed up a little bit. He heard the door shut and the bolt slam. He turned to see the Union medic. "I'm not exactly dressed to have you in here!" he snapped. "What do you want?"
The woman quickly undid her clothes and was out of them, came over, grabbed the cloth that Ponies was using, and washed herself up a little. Then she pulled him to the bedroll that had been put on the floor.
"Please!" she begged, "In the name of God! I'm desperate! I have been for hours! Please! Just do it! I'll never tell, I'll never complain, just in the name of God, do it!"
She was all over Ponies. He knew there was no hope of him ever resisting. He laid her down and found once wasn't enough. Her encouragement brought him around for a second time. He wondered why nobody disturbed them but finally she was washing up again.
"Is this happening to your people?" she asked, "Being so desperate to do it after a fight? They actually think it's some kind of virus that we've been infected with, but it's happening among our people all the time."
"I think I've heard of some reports of it," Ponies answered, "officers having a very hard time keeping the men off female prisoners. I'll mention to command that it's not just us."
"Is it true," the medic asked, "that sometimes you let prisoners of war be paroled to communities where they can work, and not keep them in prison camps if they promise good behavior?"
"I think there's quite a bit of it," Ponies answered.
"Would you send me to your community." the medic asked, "to your house? Could I be there when you come back? We don't have to get married or anything if you don't want it, but would you keep me?"
"Why?" Ponies asked.
"You were so brave," the woman answered. "You were so brave, all of you. We kept coming at you. We kept hitting you with all you had and you kept driving us back. I'm afraid I fell in love with all of you, but you're the one that claimed me. Please keep me!"
Ponies sighed. "Well, I guess until you want to go home," he answered, "you can stay. I think my mother will like you. My sister will probably hate you, but tell her I told her to treat you with respect. When you're ready to move on you can leave. But one thing. If there's a baby that's it! We get married and you stay. So if you don't want that you'd better take precautions."
The woman smiled at him. She quickly redonned her clothes, unbolted the door, and left. A few moments later Arrows came in. He didn't say anything, his look said it all.
"Let's get to work!" Ponies cried.
He slept that night surprisingly comfortably. The next day more help was arriving and somebody ran up.
"The Union surrendered!" he cried, "They've surrendered! The ridge has fallen! We've cut them off from Canada! They're now surrounded on three sides."
"They're beaten!" Ponies snapped. "They're still gonna fight, but they're beaten! The ridge finished them."
"No!" a Warlock snapped coming up, "YOU finished them, here, Warlock! If these reinforcements had gotten through they may well have broken us at the ridge but you stopped them. For ten hours you held this ground against overwhelming odds and you broke them! A battle is never run where those planning them think they'll be won. They're always won by small bands of men that decide they're not going to be moved, no matter what the enemy throws at them. You turned this road into a blazing hell. You beat them! You broke them! You made them withdraw! Six hundred and one of them retreated, 417 of them taken prisoner! That's all that's left of 3,000! You killed the rest, nearly 2,000 of them. 200 men held back 3,000 for ten hours! This is the stuff that legends are made out of, mister! I'm putting you in for The Star Of Spirit!'
"If that is the case, sir," Twenty Ponies objected, "every man that fell here should get it, and those still alive."
"They will be honored, sir!" the commander answered. "Probably each of them will received a distinguished service cross. But you led them, sir! You stood before them! That attack under such circumstances, was phenomenal, brilliant, an act of courage above and beyond the call of duty!"
"Hey, sir!" someone cried. "That blind singer, The First Speaker's friend. He's heard about the battle and written a song about it! They're gonna play it in a few minutes. Come and hear, sir!"
Ponies went out. With all standing around the radio blared and he heard the song that he would hear over and over again for the rest of his life. When it was done there were tears in his eyes. He walked over to the earthworks, sat down and began to cry. Nobody bothered him. Nobody said anything. They just let him get it out. When he was ready he got up and went over to the commander.
"Sir," he remarked, "I think I just got engaged a little while ago. I'm putting in a special request that the Union medic be paroled to my village and be quartered at my house. I'm sure her services would be valuable at the clinic. If you could approve it, sir, I'd appreciate it."
"I'll speak to her immediately!" the commander snapped, "And if it indeed her wishes I will have her sign the consent papers. Getting the prizes of war already, Warlock Field Commander?"
"I'm only a unit commander sir," Twenty Ponies answered.
"Not any more, son!" his superior answered, "Not any more!"

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