Chapter 10: Grimfang Cavalry
Personal System Calendar: Year 00012, Day 15-28, Month II: The Imperium
Imperial Calendar: Year 6857, 15th to 28th day of the 2nd Month
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A New Unit Takes Shape
While trade caravans traveled to distant cities and the masters trained their students in healing and combat arts, another development was taking shape within Maya Village. A new military unit had been organized before Erik departed for the imperial capital, one that represented an entirely novel approach to warfare that leveraged the village's unique relationship with the Grimfang wolves who had made Maya their home.
The unit was currently commanded by Erik's protégé, Torin Ned, son of Manford Ned, one of the refugee families who had arrived at Maya Village during the early waves of settlement. Torin had joined Talon Two, also known as Team Mandibles, as the mounted cavalry and mobile scout specialist. His bonded Grimfang was named Toto, one of Rexy's offspring that he had bonded with under Erik's careful tutelage.
When first recruited at age fifteen, Torin had been somewhat clumsy in coordinating with Toto, struggling with the communication and trust-building necessary for effective beast bonding. But he had shown remarkable progress over the intervening years. Now eighteen years old, he had become one of the more promising members of Talon Two, demonstrating natural aptitude for beast communication and wilderness skills that had impressed even Erik, who was notoriously difficult to impress.
Torin's weapons of choice were a spear and a heavy crossbow, notably different from Erik's preference for the traditional bow. The heavy crossbow traded rate of fire for tremendous stopping power, capable of punching through armored targets and thick beast hide that would deflect lighter projectiles. Erik had personally recommended Torin for the special operations team based on the natural talent the young man had displayed even before formally bonding with Toto.
Now Torin served as vice-captain of the experimental Grimfang Cavalry unit, second only to Erik himself when Erik was present. With Erik away at the imperial capital for the foreseeable future, command of the unit fell entirely to Torin, a responsibility that weighed heavily but one he was determined to fulfill successfully.
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Rexy's Eight Pups
The Grimfang beasts that formed the core of this new cavalry unit were all offspring of Rexy, Erik's bonded beast and the current Beast Lord Steward of Maya Village territory. Rexy herself served as the unit's lead when operational, though her responsibilities as steward meant she could not always accompany training exercises.
The eight Grimfangs and their bonded riders represented a diverse cross-section of Maya Village's population:
Boris had bonded with Lommy Archer, a young man from one of the original migrant hunter families who had settled in Maya during the earliest days. Lommy possessed exceptional marksmanship skills inherited from generations of hunters of the family.
Ponty was bonded to Nymeria Tracker, a woman also from the original migrant hunter families whose skills in tracking and wilderness survival were unmatched among the younger generation.
Loti had bonded with Nargan, a beastfolk from the Kotoko clan who brought a unique perspective to human-wolf coordination, as his own hybrid nature gave him insights into beast psychology that pure humans sometimes struggled to grasp.
Henri was bonded to Weasel Archer, another member of the original hunter families who had come to settle in Maya when the village was barely more than a handful of structures around a longhouse.
Toto, as mentioned, was bonded to Torin Ned himself and served dual roles as Torin's mount in Talon Two operations and as part of the cavalry unit structure.
Ralph had bonded with Riri Lokoroko, a beast woman from one of the newer beastfolk clans who had settled in the village more recently. Her clan brought different traditions and techniques that were being carefully integrated into village culture.
Sherny was bonded to Val Wildwood, yet another member of the original hunter families whose knowledge of the forest's dangers and opportunities was invaluable.
Neena, the eighth and youngest of Rexy's offspring, had bonded with Richard Stewie, a new human refugee who claimed to be an expert rider of mounted cavalry from his previous life before finding his way to Maya Village. His claims had been met with skepticism initially, but Neena's approval of him as her bonded rider suggested there was truth to his experience. The bond between beast and rider was not easily forged, and Grimfangs did not accept riders who lacked the necessary qualities.
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Domestication and Alliance
This experimental unit represented a critical test for the village's relationship with the Grimfang population. Rexy's offspring had been born and raised within the village itself, making them more domesticated than their wild counterparts in significant ways. They had grown up surrounded by humans, petted by children, fed by hand, given affection and attention from the moment they opened their eyes.
Unlike the naturally wild Grimfangs who remained part of the territory's forest ecosystem, Rexy's children had imprinted on humans as allies and packmates rather than viewing them as separate species to be tolerated at best. This fundamental difference in upbringing created opportunities that would have been impossible with wild-caught beasts.
The allied Grimfangs, some two hundred fifty strong, remained largely wild despite their friendly relationship with the village. They recognized Rexy as their alpha and respected the territorial boundaries that had been established, but they maintained their independence and their natural wariness of too-close human contact. They could potentially become part of the cavalry force in the future, but that remained uncertain.
For now, this first unit would serve as a test bed. If the bonding and training proved successful with the domesticated offspring, future generations could be deliberately raised for cavalry service. If the experiment failed, the allied Grimfangs would remain at large as part of the wild defensive force, and the village would need to explore other options for mounted combat capabilities.
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The Cavalry Barracks
The new unit required specialized facilities that the existing military barracks could not provide. The sheer size of the Grimfang wolves made housing them within the village proper impractical. An adult Grimfang stood nearly as tall as a horse at the shoulder but was considerably longer and more massive, requiring significantly more space for comfortable habitation and training.
The solution was to construct a dedicated cavalry barracks complex approximately one kilometer away from the planned Zone 5 area, located toward the east where much of the forest destruction from the Beast Dominion Wars had occurred. The actual base would be positioned more toward the south of the eastern section, in an area that had remained largely unused and therefore had the space required for cavalry operations.
The Grimfang Cavalry Barracks would feature extensive den spaces for the wolves, comfortable housing for their riders in close proximity, and broad training grounds where the unit could practice formations, mounted combat, and coordination exercises. The entire complex was being designed with environmental considerations in mind, minimizing the footprint of human construction and respecting the natural landscape.
The ancient trees that had survived the war remained standing. Construction crews cleared only direct paths for wagons to pass and the minimal ground space necessary for buildings and training areas. The trees themselves were incorporated into the facility's design wherever possible, providing natural shade, cover, and a connection to the forest environment that would be essential for training cavalry to operate in woodland terrain.
Why preserve the trees so carefully? Because the village was located deep within the forest, and what better training environment could exist than the actual terrain where the cavalry would operate? Learning to move through dense woodland, to use trees for cover, to navigate by forest landmarks rather than open-field reference points, all of these skills required practicing in an environment that replicated actual combat conditions.
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The Forest Heals
The forest itself was beginning to recover from the massive destruction wrought by the Beast Dominion Wars. For some time, prey beasts from the northern region of the Lonelywood Forest had been forced to seek grazing grounds in other territories, this also includes the predators who still exist after the war, intruding on lands normally controlled by other Beast Lords. Aetherwing, in his capacity as Guardian Beast of the northern territories, had granted permission for this displacement, understanding that temporary territorial violations were preferable to mass starvation.
The permission came with conditions, of course. The displaced beasts could use other territories only as long as necessary for new growth to return to the destroyed portions of the forest. After three years, that growth was finally becoming substantial enough to support life again.
The trees in the recovering areas were not as tall as their predecessors. These were new growth, young trees that had only had three years to establish themselves. But scattered throughout the devastated zone were pockets of ancient trees that had somehow survived the battle, massive specimens that had endured fire, combat, and the trampling of countless beasts and soldiers. These survivors served as seed sources and as anchors for the recovering ecosystem.
The destroyed area had been vast, approximately fifty thousand square kilometers, roughly twenty percent of the northern forest region of the Lonelywoods Forest. It was a scar that would take decades to fully heal, but the healing had begun. Life was resilient, and the forest was reclaiming what had been taken from it.
Trees in the Great Forest grew faster than their counterparts in less magical environments. The ambient mana that permeated the soil, water, and air accelerated growth rates considerably. It would not take as long as one might expect for the recovering areas to reach maturity. Within a generation, these ancient woodlands would once again pierce the heavens with trees hundreds of feet tall.
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Training and Bonding
For the Grimfang Cavalry's training regimen, the immediate priority was familiarization and deepening the bonds between riders and their beasts. The foundation of any effective cavalry unit was the relationship between mount and rider, and with intelligent beasts like Grimfangs, that relationship needed to be built on mutual trust and respect rather than dominance and control.
What better way to build those bonds than through the activity that Grimfangs excelled at naturally: that is hunting of course.
The village was expert at organized hunts, particularly the members who came from the major hunting families. Those families brought generations of accumulated knowledge about tracking, stalking, and bringing down dangerous prey. Now that knowledge was being adapted to cavalry operations, teaching riders and wolves to hunt as coordinated pack units rather than as individual predator-prey relationships.
The primary targets for training hunts were Boarats, also called Skitterpigs in some regions. These creatures were semi-prey, semi-predator depending on circumstances. Within the Great Forest, they were firmly in the prey category, hunted by Grimfangs and other apex predators. Their population regenerated quickly enough that regular culling actually helped maintain ecological balance rather than threatening the species.
But outside the Great Forest's boundaries, Boarats became something entirely different. In ordinary villages and even smaller towns, these creatures were walking nightmares, capable of devastating crops, killing livestock, and even threatening human lives when they gathered in large groups. The fact that Maya Village could hunt them almost casually spoke volumes about the settlement's capabilities and the dangers its people had learned to navigate.
The training hunts served multiple purposes beyond simple bonding. They brought food to the village. They provided real combat experience against dangerous prey. They taught coordination between riders and wolves. They developed the pack hunting tactics that would be essential for cavalry operations. And they helped control the Boarat population, performing a useful ecological service.
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Pack Tactics and Near Disaster
Torin shouted commands to his team, his voice carrying the confidence that had developed over months of training and real experience. He was no longer the uncertain fifteen-year-old who had struggled to coordinate with Toto. Now he commanded with authority that the others respected and followed.
"Spread out and corner only the weakest ones!" he called out. "Aim your arrows carefully and always stay alert! These beasts are prey for Grimfangs, but they become predators if we are not careful!"
This was absolutely true. Boarats were dangerous even to experienced hunters. They were aggressive when cornered, surprisingly fast for their bulk, and their tusks could gore a wolf or disembowel a human with a single strike. Underestimating them was a mistake that resulted in injuries or worse.
The current formation of the pack cavalry employed eight riders divided into two teams of four each. One team was tasked with distraction and separation, driving the Boarat herd and isolating stragglers from the main group. The second team followed close behind, ready to finish kills and provide direct support if brave Boarats chose to charge rather than flee.
This aggressive behavior had been encountered many times during the past few months of training. Boarats were unpredictable. Most of the time they ran from Grimfangs. Occasionally, usually when defending young or when cornered, they fought with suicidal courage.
The first time the team had encountered charging Boarats, it had nearly become a disaster for the still-inexperienced unit. Thankfully, Kirpy had been nearby at that critical moment.
Kirpy, one of Aetherwing's offspring from the first clutch and bonded to Bren, had remained in the village while Bren studied at the imperial capital. They had considered bringing Kirpy to the capital using one of the large wagons, but ultimately decided against it. The imperial bureaucracy would have required extensive documentation, and drawing that kind of official attention to the village's bonded beasts seemed unwise.
Rexy faced similar constraints. As Beast Lord Steward of Maya Village territory, she had responsibilities that prevented extended absences. She ruled over the allied Grimfangs, approximately two hundred fifty wolves who recognized her authority. Leadership could not be abandoned lightly.
Kirpy, patrolling overhead during a routine hunt, had witnessed the situation unfold below. Since he had bonded with Bren as a juvenile, he had developed friendships with the humans of the village and particularly with this Grimfang group. When he saw the riders in trouble, instinct and loyalty drove him to intervene.
He dove from the sky like a thunderbolt, talons extended, and killed one of the two Commander-rank Boarats that were leading the charge. His sudden appearance from above, combined with the death of their leader, shattered the attackers' morale completely. The remaining Boarats scattered in panic, abandoning the fight.
Kirpy's reward was a substantial meal and another beast core to add to his collection. The riders' reward was survival and a harsh lesson about overconfidence.
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Adaptation and Innovation
That near-disaster had prompted a reorganization of the cavalry unit's structure and tactics. They formed specialized sub-teams to handle different combat situations, creating flexibility that could turn disadvantages into advantages or at least buy time for retreat when necessary.
The village's artisans had been tasked with crafting specialized equipment for the cavalry: armor, saddles, harnesses, and carrying packs. Currently, the riders and wolves wore only leather gear. Proper armor would take considerably more time to produce. August could have created everything through his Personal System, but he deliberately chose not to.
If he wanted the skills of the village's artisans and craftsmen to develop, they needed to practice their crafts on challenging projects. The village had abundant beast materials to work with, high-quality components that would allow skilled craftsmen to create exceptional equipment if given the opportunity and time to learn.
The Grimfang harness was similar in concept to tack for a six-legged horse, but designed for greater agility to avoid impeding the wolves' natural movement. Straps and buckles were positioned carefully to prevent snagging on branches during forest operations. The design incorporated lessons learned from months of field testing.
Additionally, the artisans and craftsmen had begun developing carrying packs for long-range expeditions. These would allow cavalry units to operate independently for extended periods without supply lines, a capability that would prove invaluable for scouting missions and rapid-response operations.
The lead artisan on these projects was Master Riza Kirara, a beastfolk craftswoman who had arrived at the village relatively recently. Her clan came from the far north, and their culture held that young craftsmen must travel to find a territory worthy of their skills. She had found Maya Village and chosen to stay, drawn by the abundance of premium beast materials and the community of skilled artisans who worked with them.
She had been tasked by Anvel Ironhide, the representative Elder of Maya's Craftsmen, to take primary responsibility for developing the cavalry equipment. Most of her current work consisted of prototypes rather than final production models. She needed extensive feedback from the riders who would actually use the equipment in the field. Until she gathered that data, mass production would be premature.
For now, riders had only the basic harness required for safe mounting and detachable bags for extended travel. Armor would come later, after the designs were proven and refined.
Master Riza had already begun developing concepts for camouflage equipment that would help both riders and wolves blend naturally with forest environments. But those remained distant future projects. First, they needed to perfect the fundamentals.
She drew inspiration from the existing harnesses that August's Personal System had created through Admin Magnus. Those pieces were perfect in their execution, fine craftsmanship that would be difficult to replicate through conventional means. But they were also difficult to mass-produce. If the cavalry unit was to expand beyond eight riders to dozens or even hundreds, the equipment would need to be simplified while maintaining essential quality and functionality.
Master Riza accepted this challenge enthusiastically. Making concessions on complexity while preserving performance was the mark of a master craftsman. Anyone could create perfection given unlimited time and resources. Creating excellence under constraints required genuine skill.
The riders provided constant feedback on what worked and what needed improvement. The bags are chafed here. The harness restricted movement there. This buckle was difficult to operate with gloved hands. That strap wore through too quickly under field conditions. Each piece of feedback was carefully recorded and incorporated into the next prototype iteration.
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Signals and Communications
Beyond physical equipment, the cavalry unit had developed a comprehensive system of signals for tactical communication. These signals served dual purposes: they were cryptic enough to conceal intent from enemies, and they were silent enough to avoid alerting prey during hunts or patrols.
Different whistle patterns conveyed specific commands. One pattern meant "spread out." Another meant "converge on target." A third meant "danger, retreat immediately." The riders had practiced these signals until they could execute complex maneuvers based purely on auditory cues, maintaining coordination even when visual contact was impossible through dense forest.
Additionally, each rider carried handheld magical signal flares, the same type used to communicate with outposts and the village during emergency situations. These flares could be seen for kilometers even through forest canopy, providing a reliable means of calling for reinforcement or warning of threats.
Training emphasized proficiency with these communication tools. In combat, the difference between victory and disaster often came down to how quickly a unit could coordinate a response to changing circumstances. Silent signals allowed for tactical flexibility without alerting opponents to plans before they could be executed.
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The Hunt Concludes
The current hunt proceeded according to practiced plans. From an imbalanced inverted V formation, the eight-rider unit split into two groups and began the coordinated pursuit. The lead team drove the Boarat herd toward a natural choke point created by dense undergrowth and fallen logs. The support team moved into flanking positions, ready to intercept any that broke from the intended path.
After a five-minute chase filled with the thunder of hooves and paws, the coordinated snapping of branches, and the terrified squealing of pursued prey, the riders had successfully cornered three Boarats separated from the main herd.
The mounted archers loosed arrows that found vulnerable spots behind the beasts' thick shoulder plates. The wolves darted in when openings appeared, their powerful jaws clamping onto legs and flanks, bringing down prey through coordinated savagery that was beautiful and terrible to witness.
Within minutes, the hunt was complete. Three Boarats lay dead, enough meat to feed dozens of people and provide valuable materials for the village's craftsmen. The wolves fed first on their kills, as was proper. They had done the majority of the work and deserved the best portions. The riders would bring the remainder back to the village for processing.
Torin surveyed the results with satisfaction. The hunt had gone smoothly, no injuries to riders or wolves, clean kills that minimized suffering, and successful application of the pack tactics they had been drilling for months.
"Well done," he called to his team. "That was as clean as any hunt I've seen. Load the kills for transport. We're heading home."
The riders dismounted to secure the carcasses for the journey back. This was where their training in dismounted operations proved valuable. The cavalry was not purely mounted. They could fight on foot when necessary, performing tasks that required hands while their wolves provided security.
Each rider wore their unit's distinctive crest emblem: a running wolf that clearly identified which unit they belonged to. Pride in that symbol was growing. They were pioneers, the first of what might become a formidable cavalry tradition within Maya Village's military structure.
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Standard Armament and Tactics
The standard armament for cavalry riders had been carefully selected to maximize versatility. Each rider carried a short war bow suitable for mounted archery, a quiver with a substantial supply of arrows, a cavalry-purposed spear that was longer and heavier than infantry versions, designed for the leverage and momentum provided by a charging mount. A hunting knife served for utility purposes and close combat. A short sword and shield provided capabilities for dismounted combat when riders needed to fight on foot.
The armor was deliberately light, crafted from materials that provided significant protection while maintaining agility and speed. The cavalry was not designed for grinding attrition battles. They were a rapid-strike force, meant to hit hard, exploit breakthroughs, and disengage before heavier enemy units could respond effectively.
This philosophy of mobility over heavy armor meant the riders needed to be skilled fighters even when dismounted. They trained extensively in both mounted and dismounted combat, understanding that battles rarely went according to plan and that adaptability was more valuable than specialization.
The wolves themselves needed no armor yet. Their natural hide was thick enough to turn aside many weapons, and their speed made them difficult targets. When proper armor was eventually produced, it would focus on protecting vital areas rather than attempting full coverage that would compromise their greatest asset: mobility.
Together, rider and wolf formed a force multiplier. Mounted, they could cover vast distances quickly, scout ahead of main forces, and execute lightning raids that disrupted enemy supply lines and communication. Dismounted, the wolves could defend their riders while the riders performed tasks requiring hands and tools. The versatility made them valuable for numerous mission profiles beyond simple combat.
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Imperial Recognition
Even the imperial garrison stationed at Maya Village had taken notice of the Grimfang Cavalry's development. Imperial officers who had witnessed training exercises spoke admiringly of the unit's potential. For professional soldiers who had seen countless military innovations fail to live up to their promise, this cautious approval carried significant weight.
The fact that imperial veterans recognized the cavalry's effectiveness validated the concept. This was not merely a novelty or a gimmick. This was a genuinely dangerous fighting force that could achieve tactical objectives impossible for conventional units.
The endorsement from experienced military professionals suggested that once the experimental phase concluded successfully and the unit reached full maturity, the Grimfang Cavalry would become a standard specialized component of Maya Village's security forces. The village would possess capabilities that few other settlements in the empire could match, further cementing its reputation as a frontier power that could not be dismissed or underestimated.
Future Developments
The Grimfang Cavalry was not the only specialized unit in development. Plans existed for an aerial cavalry unit focused on reconnaissance, support, and aerial combat. The commander of that future unit would be August himself, leveraging his bond with Aetherwing and his extensive combat experience.
But that development remained in the future. August was currently occupied with intensive training under Grandmaster Miles Daemon, refining his combat skills to levels that would justify command of such an elite unit. The aerial cavalry would require riders who could coordinate while moving in three dimensions, who could engage in combat while mounted on beasts that flew at tremendous speeds, who could navigate by landmarks visible only from above.
The challenges were substantial, but so were the potential rewards. An aerial cavalry working in coordination with ground-based Grimfang units would provide Maya Village with combined-arms capabilities that would make the settlement effectively unassailable by conventional military forces.
For now, though, the focus remained on perfecting the Grimfang Cavalry. Master the fundamentals first. Build the foundation properly. Then expand to more ambitious projects once the initial concept had been proven beyond doubt.
The riders returned to the village as evening approached, their wolves padding through the forest with the easy confidence of apex predators in familiar territory. Behind them, the forest canopy whispered in the wind, and the setting sun painted the sky in shades of gold and crimson.
Maya Village was becoming formidable, building capabilities that would ensure its survival and prosperity for generations to come. The Grimfang Cavalry was one piece of that larger puzzle, but an important piece that could shift the balance of power throughout the entire region.
The future was uncertain, as it always was. But Maya Village was preparing for that future with dedication, intelligence, and an unwillingness to accept limitations that others might consider insurmountable.