Quashed

On Steelhorn's return, Arrow was met with even more praise, to the tune of an extra ration when dinner came. He was left untied throughout the day, so long as he stuck with Boneshatter. Arrow was more than okay with this, having come to like the burly red giant. He wasn't given any more tasks, not because he wasn't trusted, but rather because everything was going well. The minotaurs could afford to rest for a bit, as the next step required a fair bit of patience. They kept on their guard, however, as the Equestrian forces would surely be out looking for their princess. This was a delicate operation, requiring that they wait, but also requiring haste.

When it came time for dinner, Celestia and the other guard were once again set up around the fire. Arrow, when given his first set of rations, hungrily wolfed down his meal. Wild greens had never tasted so good before. He couldn't tell yet if the secret seasoning was the comradery with his new minotaur friends, or just that he was starving, but he felt that this verdant slop was more satisfying than any meal he'd ever eaten.

Ironblood was still having trouble feeding Celestia. She refused to eat. "Come, now, princess, you must eat something. This obstinance will lead to your doom."

Celestia scowled. "It will lead further to your doom, you curs. Equestria has other leaders that can take my place. I'm your only bargaining chip. You lose me, and Equestria will be ruled by Luna. You'll never have it!"

Steelhorn chuckled. "You think you're our only bargaining chip? I'll have you know, princess, that there are already plans in place to capture Luna, Twilight and Cadence. In fact, judging by the time, it's possible that we've already snagged Twilight in our little trap. Luna will fall soon, as well. If you continue to be obstinate, we will have our other chips. If you all refuse to eat, then Equestria will be left without any ruler, and you can bet that I'll be the first to swoop in and fill that power vacuum."

Celestia turned away, disgusted by his words. "The Equestrian populace isn't as dumb as you think. They'll find out what happened. Even if you do take the throne, it won't be long before you're overthrown by the very forces you seek to command."

A loud screech was heard from overhead. With a fluttering of feathers, a kestrel flapped down from above, landing softly on Ironblood's horn. Being a horn, the raptor's talons didn't dig into the hard bone, making it a wonderful perch. Tied to its leg was a small scroll, which Ironblood promptly retrieved. He unrolled the note, handing it to Steelhorn as soon as he'd read through it.

Steelhorn's eyes lit up as he read the note, then he turned back to Celestia. "It seems you are no longer necessary, princess. I've just received a notice that Twilight Sparkle has been captured, by none other than our dear cousin, Cobalthoof." He turned the scroll around to show her. "You see?"

Celestia's eyes shot open in shock. She scanned the words of the document fruitlessly, as it was written in a language she didn't read. Even if she had, the message was encoded. She had to take his word for it. Unwilling to accept this, she struggled in her bonds, almost falling face first into the fire, had Ironblood not been there to catch her. "Let her go at once!" she shouted.

Steelhorn smirked. "Why in Tartarus would I want to do that? We now have not one, but two bargaining chips. And since Twilight is much younger, and much more naïve, I'm certain she would be much easier to control than you. I wager three sessions of whipping before she caves to our demands." Celestia was in tears. This is exactly what Steelhorn was hoping for. Taking the sachet of herbs from the bottom of the scroll, he tossed the paper onto the fire. "This is a good thing, Celestia. Now I don't have to care whether or not you eat. Your resolve to doom the Hornburg through killing Equestria will no longer be a factor."

Arrow stood up and smacked Steelhorn. This came as a shock, but warranted no real reaction from the other minotaurs. "This isn't right!" growled Arrow. "I joined you to save Equestrian lives! I'll not stand idly by and let you kill Celestia!"

Steelhorn dropped down onto one knee to meet Arrow eye to eye, placing his hand on the stallion's shoulder. "I have no intention of killing her. She is making that decision. She can still be of value to us if she survives, but if she kills herself through starvation first, we now have a backup plan. If she wants to see her beloved student ever again, she should sustain herself. That's up to her, now."

After a few moments of silent reflection, Celestia slowly opened her mouth. She'd come to grips with her situation, and knew that the only way to save Twilight was to submit to their demands. Ironblood brought the spoon up to her lips, and like a newborn foal transitioning to solid foods, spoon fed her dinner to her.

Steelhorn stood and walked over to his pack. He pulled out a kettle, filled it with water, and placed it over the fire to boil. "Do you feel better now, Arrow?"

Arrow lowered his head and nodded. "I apologize for hitting you, Chief Steelhorn."

Steelhorn waved his hand. "Think nothing of it. When a leader is being unreasonable, it is the duty of his advisors to keep him honest."

Arrow shook his head. "I'm not an advisor."

"Not yet, but you may find yourself in that role soon."

Arrow looked up. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not a pony," Steelhorn explained. "I may have need of a pony from Equestria to filter through any faux pas that I may encounter. This needs to be a pony who is loyal to our cause, you see. If, as an example, I were at a birthday party and was told by Celestia that not kicking a dog is rude, and then proceeded to kick a dog, and it turns out that was just as bad in Equestria as in the Hornburg, I would be cast in a very negative light."

Arrow shook his head frantically. "We don't kick dogs for fun, either. Don't kick dogs."

Steelhorn smiled. "I wasn't planning to. My real reaction if I were told as such would be to take insult at the suggestion. But it is clear that our methods of etiquette are vastly different. That's why I'm keeping a close eye on you now. I have to know if you can be trusted, Arrow."

Arrow stood up as tall as he could and puffed out his chest. "I'll give it everything I have, Chief Steelhorn."

Steelhorn nodded and tossed the sachet of herbs into the boiling water of the kettle. "You're a valued asset, Arrow. Let's hope it stays that way. Unfortunately, you're still under probation, so we will have to bind you again before bed."

"Light bindings," interjected Boneshatter. "I will vouch for him, I will be his steward. He shall be in my charge."

Steelhorn raised an eyebrow. "Already? That was fast." He let out a small chuckle. "You may climb faster than expected, Arrow."

Celestia and the other guard were left in their bindings in the carriage for the night, this time without Arrow. Instead, his wrists, knees and ankles were bound, and he lay in Boneshatter's bedroll. It was much more comfortable and roomy than the carriage floor, and the heat radiating off of Boneshatter's body sent him easily into a peaceful sleep.

Meanwhile, Ironblood and Steelhorn walked just to the outside of the camp to speak in hushed tones. "We don't have Princess Sparkle yet, Chief," Ironblood whispered accusingly. "There is no secondary team, and Cobalthoof stayed behind at the castle."

"It was a lie, yes," admitted Steelhorn. "I thought, if only we could convince her to do minimum upkeep, to scare her a bit, we might be able to bend her to our side."

"I'm not comfortable with lies, Steelhorn. Neither are your men. They're all rather confused by your claim that Princess Sparkle is in custody."

"And they'll be even more confused when I tell them that they have to go collect her." Steelhorn sipped his tea. "It feels like being hit in the chest with cannon fire, but without the satisfaction of a target to destroy. I hate lying as much as they hate being lied to. It's awful."

Ironblood grunted. "I don't envy you the punishment coming your way when you have to tell them."

Steelhorn rubbed his forehead, as if the pain was already there. "I'll certainly deserve it. In fact, I welcome it."