I walked through the trees not looking for anything. It was almost noon. The expanse of the Everfree was good relief of the stress of being a commander of the hive. Not looking at the "pretty sights and animals", but just walking. Walking without thinking. A soldier's best weapon is a clear mind. That doesn't mean clear thinking, it means literally without a thought in your mind. Only think when you have to. Or at least try. I looked up and saw a small pond a few hundred feet ahead. When did this place have water sources other than the river? I walked up to the pond an looked at my reflection. Glossy aqua eyes, dark gray exoskeleton, see transparent cyan wings. Just like any other changeling. A timber wolf stared at me from across the pond. I snapped my head up and stared back. Seconds passed. Almost a minute. The wolf then growled and walked away. You attack me, you're the one who's gonna be prey. I decided I've had enough and started walking back to the hive.

As soon as got to the entrance, a messenger ran up to me, "Sir, Princess Luna requested to meet with you, she says it's urgent!"

"Tell her I'll be there in five minutes"

I ran to the barracks, donned my armor and knife, and ran to the meeting location.

"Barnes, I have located a large group of rogue changelings that have been attacking Canterlot lately. They seem to have set up a camp somewhere near the base of the mountain. I need to to clear them out before they attack again"

"It will take some time for me to get my team that far, but we should be able to get it done by tomorrow morning."

"Thank you"

"Easily"

Walking along the dry almost desert-like ground between Dodge City and Appleloosa, my assault team came up behind three travelers who were walking a similar route. Two of them were earth ponies and the other was a unicorn. When they noticed us, they looked over and froze with fear. I made eye contact with the unicorn and she teleported leaving the two earth ponies behind. I tossed a bit to one of the earth ponies and kept walking.

By the time we reached the northern edge of the Everfree, it was almost night. "Double time! Let's move it!" We picked up the pace and continued on. We reached the base of the mountain at midnight and began our search. We eventually found the changelings inside a cavern on the NorthEastern side of the mountain. I told the rest of my team to wait outside and walked in. They looked up at me and a few of them hissed. I gave them a look of mock pity. "I will give you three choices, join our hive, leave this area at once, or fight and die"

"And what makes you think we'll choose any of those options?", one of them replied.

"Because it's the only three you have right now". I tapped my hoove on the stone three times. This was a signal for the other to go invisible and fall in formation behind me. I heard the soft padding of the others joining me.

"There's only one of you", the others stood up revealing fourteen of them, "And fourteen of us"

"Weren't you ever taught that looks can be deceiving?". I tapped my hoove two more times. My team of thirty well armored changelings revealed themselves standing behind me.