Quashed

Steelhorn and Boneshatter came to an intersection and turned left. It was late morning, and they'd been jogging all night. Arrow didn't have the excessive stamina of the minotaurs yet, and had run out of breath after only a few hours. He'd waved them on, saying to go on without him, and he'd catch up, but Boneshatter wasn't about to leave his adopted brother behind. Arrow had spent more than half of the night atop his shoulders, riding his way to the Hornburg.

They were leaving the plains that made up most of Equestria, and were en route to the mountainous area that lead to where the minotaurs held their confederation of duchies. At their speed, they'd be home just before sunset. The first mountain was right in front of them now, and their path began to incline gently as the road grew rougher. This wasn't an oft-travelled path, so no one really looked after this road. It was overgrown with grass in some areas, and large boulders blocked the way in others. This had been their road into Equestria, and it was also their way back.

At noon, they stopped for lunch. There was a small area just before the road narrowed to carve into the rugged mountain terrain. This was the only spot they would be able to rest until they reached the other side of the first mountain. Each of them carried with them two days worth of rations. That was more than enough to make it back to the Hornburg. They sat in a circle around their hexamine pocket stoves as their canned meals warmed up.

Boneshatter turned to Arrow. "I wish you could have seen the Hornburg in it's glory," he lamented. "Banners blowing in the breeze, soldiers of all builds lining the walls, and joyous uproar from the taverns. If we somehow make it through this, I want to take you to see all the best spots still standing."

Arrow chuckled. "You'd better not die, then. I'm counting on you."

"If either of you die, you forfeit your chairs at the victory feast," joked Steelhorn. It was good to chuckle, if only for a moment.

Just as quickly as the mood had elevated, it had fallen back to despair. They ate in silence, wishing that their plans for Equestria had gone uninterrupted. If they had, there would be several thousand ponies already in the Hornburg, ready to fight. With enough of them, they may have even survived. That was all just a memory now of what might have been.

When they had finished eating, the fuel tabs had burned down to nothing, and any remnants were dumped into the dirt and smothered with the stamping of a hoof. Any trash that was not biodegradable was bagged up and added to Steelhorn's pack. With full stomachs and emptied bladders, they set off again. This time, they'd not stop until they reached their destination.

The road grew treacherous the deeper they went into the mountains. On a few rare occasions, the road was smooth and easy to jog down, but most of their path was coarse and rough. They didn't slow down, though. Not when they had to climb, not when they had to descend and not when the air grew thin. They were single-minded in their determination.

At the peak of the third mountain, about half an hour after crossing the Equestrian border, part of the road collapsed. Unfortunately, it was the part Boneshatter had been running on. With no ground to hold him up, he and Arrow tumbled over the edge, only just managing to find their grip against the sheer drop. Hearing the breaking of rocks, Steelhorn doubled back, rushing to their aid.

The only thing keeping them from going any further down the mountain was Boneshatter's left hand. His hooves were unable to find or create any purchase, and his right hand was holding Arrow upside down by the ankle. He looked up at Steelhorn, who seemed to be very worried. "No visible injuries," he called up, a blatant lie, as he'd scraped his entire body against the rocks.

"What about Arrow?"

"I'll be fine," he answered, looking up. "A bit of damage to my knee, but I don't think it's serious!"

Steelhorn breathed a sigh of relief. "Boneshatter, do you think you can swing Arrow up to me? I think I can grab his hand from here."

Boneshatter nodded and began to swing Arrow's body back and forth. Arrow, trusting in his brothers, began to shift with the swinging motion, trying to eliminate drag and build up momentum. On the count of three, Boneshatter pulled extra hard, giving Arrow enough force to propel him into Steelhorn's grip. With a firm tug, Arrow was safely back on the road. However, the extra push had caused Boneshatter to lose his grip and he fell a bit further down. He had started outside of Steelhorn's grip, but now there was little hope of returning to the road.

"Hold onto that wall, Bone!" Steelhorn wasn't about to give up. He had no rope, but he had his harness. He stripped down and secured the leather straps tightly to his fetlock. These were thick, reinforced leather bands, bound together with steel rings. They could easily support his own weight, they would be capable of supporting his brother. He lowered himself over the edge of the cliff, until the only grip he had was his opposite hand. He stretched out his leg as far as it would go, leaving the harness just outside of Boneshatter's grasp. "You're going to have to jump."

Boneshatter shook his head. "You'll fall, too! I'm not going to be responsible for both of our deaths!"

"Do it, Bone!" called Arrow. "You promised me a tour, and a Hornburger always keeps his word!"

"Climb your arse back onto the road, Bone," shouted Steelhorn. "That's a direct order, soldier!"

Boneshatter nodded. With another pull, he leaped upward, grabbing tightly to Steelhorn's harness as the rock he'd been holding onto fell apart. Arrow gripped Steelhorn's wrist, making sure he didn't fall. Now secured to something, Boneshatter began to climb up Steelhorn's body, switching to the cliff face when he reached the ledge. With a nod from Steelhorn, Arrow changed positions, helping Boneshatter up instead. As soon as Boneshatter was back on the road, Steelhorn began climbing, as well.

He had made it as far as his waist when another loud crack rang out. They could all feel the ground falling away. There was no time to react. Releasing his grip on the cliff, Steelhorn pushed Arrow back, knocking him hard into Boneshatter's arms. Hard enough to make them stumble backward over the collapsing road. As they landed, they saw the rocks they'd been standing on break away and fall off the mountain. As the cluster fell, they caught a glimpse of Chief Steelhorn, sailing through the air, plummeting towards the bottom of the mountain. His final act had been to rescue them from harm. With a proud salute, he disappeared from sight, never to be seen or heard from again.