The camp was a buzz of activity. All able-bodied jackals of either gender that had their heart set on honor and battle were preparing for it.
Silver, on the other hoof, gathered from those that felt different. Even as he formed a crowd of curious souls, he wondered if he was doing the right thing. Ultimately, it was what he felt was right, and being a prince meant he was supposed to work it out. If that meant shepherding this crowd of less-violent jackals...
The jackal with a missing eye, Firm Touch, approached with a soft growl. "The sick are over there." He waved. "The young are right here, and the... cowards, they're over there." He snorted loudly. "I don't understand, horse. What's your game? Are you going to try to become leader of the worthless?"
Silver pulled himself straight despite the aches and pains. "If that's what needs to be done. I am a prince, and these people need a ruler right now. Firm Touch, are you with me?"
Firm Touch bared his teeth, but nodded. "Until I flip you over and pin you to the ground, 'prince'. I'm not one of your docile little dogs here, and you won't win me over with sweet words." He seemed to notice Silver's wariness and reached out to tug one of Silver's ears. "I won't try anything until the others are safe. You're not the only one that understands responsibility. We'll make them safe, then we can finish our fight, for real this time, and you're out of your little horsey mind if you think I'll lose."
Silver flicked his tugged ear with irritation, but nodded. It was good enough. "Alright. I'll start with the sick ones. I'm going to vanish and appear as fast as I can, but it's going to make me more tired. When I come back, I'll try to bring some horses, er, ponies with me. They won't be here to fight, but to support me. Got it?" Firm nodded, and Silver moved to the sickened jackals. He spread his wings wide. "We're going to a boat. You will be well-treated and cared for there. You are not prisoners, and if anyone mistreats you, you will tell me or Celestia, the white pony with a sun here." He pointed with a wing at his own cutie mark. "We will take care of them. Now, this trip will be a little jarring, are you ready?"
Sickened or injured, pride demanded they accept it with a bit of stoicism. They all said they were ready, but Silver wasn't that surprised to hear the sounds of heaving when he appeared with the first group onto Celestia's boat. The sailors were quite surprised, and a few guards hurried over. "These are royal guests, and sick besides. Get them quarters, and expect more. Things are going to get crowded. If we run out of space, move my servants in with Celestia and I." Then he was gone. There were so many groups to get...
Fiddah was there the second time, and gladly offered herself for the task. Silver drank from her and rejuvenated himself, then set her down on the deck with the gentlest of nuzzles. "Thank you." But then Celestia was there the third hop, and she joined him, helping him ferry jackals back and forth as quickly as possible between the two of them. It was day, and Celestia's time was approaching its peak. She could do more than Silver, and whisked away great numbers of the jackals, Firm Touch included.
By the time it was about two in the afternoon, Silver sagged to the ground, bone tired and worn. Celestia gently picked him up and transported the last to the ship. As she walked to the bedroom with her precious cargo, she spoke, "They're advancing right now. I expect it to be horrible for both sides. I've given my support, if not my direct interference, and the cost will be tragic, but I don't think they will recover so swiftly from this war."
Silver tried to rise, but did little more than flop on her back. "But it won't work, will it?"
"It never has before," said Celestia with some bitterness. "I imagine it will set them back. There will be peace for a time. New children will be born to them, raised on stories of this very massacre, and told that strength is the only reason they survived at all. They will grow with hatred and pride, and they will fight. Nothing will change."
Her walk came up short as Firm Touch blocked her way with a snarl. "We tell our pups the truth. The strong survive, the weak are killed. The strong get what's needed for the tribe, and the weak can only hope for scraps. What would you know, horse queen? I saw your dining room, filled with cakes and things. You are a spoiled horse. You don't know true struggle at all." He fixed Celestia with his good eye and flicked his gaze up at the limp Silver. "Is that your husband?"
Silver raised a hoof a whole inch before the leg fell. "She's mine."
His reaction brought a loud fit of laughter from Firm. "Oh, listen to him. Even limp as a wet noodle he's willing to claim what's his. Maybe I was a little hasty to judge him. There's some fight in there."
Celestia frowned a little at the butchered male. "I'm sorry, but I don't think we've met? You know Prince Silver Stars, I assume?"
Firm gave a low grunt. "I know him the way a man can only know after he's almost been killed." He looked Celestia over slowly. "And you are Celestia, queen of the horses, ruler of the sky, and scourge of our people. I admit, I am surprised. I expected at least a little warrior blood in our unaging nemesis." He put a finger under his ruined eye. "This is the gift your husband gave me. I'll return the favor some day, if he ever slips up."
Celestia recoiled from Firm. "You will not touch a hair on his body. He's suffered quite enough, for your people's sake, and mine. He's struggled to be as good a pony as one can be."
Firm Touch thrust his clawed paws forward. "And that is exactly his problem!" He threw those paws down. "He is not a pony. He is a warrior. Enough. You're old enough to ignore my words as the meaningless prattle of a cub." He waved Celestia off and departed down the hallway towards the crowded rooms that held the other jackals.
Silver let out a little sigh from her back. "Thank you, for standing up. He's not entirely wrong though."
Celestia entered their room and nudged the door shut. All the servants were there and looked up to see the tired Silver. Shei stepped up to Celestia and bowed before gently pulling Silver free. He was carried between Shei and Bottom over to the bed and he knew relaxation. It simply felt so kind and warm to be between the two that he faded to sleep by the time he was tucked in.
Bottom looked to Celestia. "How is this all going to work? Are we going back to Equestria now?"
Fiddah nodded. "There's nothing more for us to do, unless you mean to hunt for the rest of sir's accessories." Her eyes widened. "Ma'am, you must return once more. His book! He won't rest well without it."
Celestia frowned at the thought. "You are right. How could I have forgotten? Stay here, and protect Silver." She turned away and vanished, returning to the camp.
The jackals had spread out, taking up the space the non-combatants had taken up for practice and preperation. Her appearance made several scramble out of the way, just to grab weapons and ready swords and spears at her. "Spy!" declared one female Anubian, her wickedly pointed spear at the ready.
Celestia shook her head. "I'm here for Silver's things. Where was his saddlebag and its contents placed?"
One of the other females smiled. "That works out well. They are where you are going, horse. This way." They prodded at her and Celestia began to go with them. Her agreement was just another sign of weakness in their eyes, and they joked among themselves as they poked at her to keep moving.
Soon they arrived at Nefertari's tent. The largest of the jackals pointed. "His things, and your fate, are inside. Maybe Nefertari is in a good mood, but I doubt it." They kept an even wall, ready to fight the horse queen if she rebelled, but Celestia just nodded and stepped inside.
One of the jackals snorted to the other. "They are led by timid sheep. No wonder their caravans are always so easy." They laughed together and wandered off, trusting Nefertari to handle it.
Celestia entered the well-lit interior and looked around, seeing no one, but a small selection of finger-treats set on a small table to the left. "Hello?"
Nefertari seemed to appear from nowhere, moving with all-too-much speed and sporting a smile. "I was hoping you'd come. Hello, fellow mate of the warrior."
Celestia's ears perked up, then forward as she looked over Nefertari. "You're not his wife, or a princess of the ponies. That makes you nothing."
Nefertari brought up a finger, claw displayed as it wagged slowly. "That's no way to greet me. He is a warrior, and a pony. I have claimed his warrior part, which you left to rot. You have taken my people as well. No, I'm afraid I won't stand for that, not at all. Silver made an agreement, and that means you're taking me with him, and you're not going to complain."
Celestia's horn began to glow with powerful sun magic, and Nefertari rested on her belly. "Not so quickly. You'll wound his pony heart, and enrage his warrior spirit." Celestia's glow guttered as she wondered if she was being told the truth. "Oh yes. I wouldn't lie about that, dear horse queen."
She turned away from Celestia and walked calmly to the side of the tent, where she picked up a saddlebag. "This is what you came for, isn't it? Well, if you can pause to get his trinkets, taking his child's mother should be a small task."
With a sharply abrupt flash, Celestia bound Nefertari in golden chains of light. "You are my prisoner, until I have this all straightened out. I am not Silver, and I will not be bullied in any circumstance." When Nefer tried to resist, Celestia shocked her with pure solar energy. "Either be still and get what you want, or struggle and be left behind. Decide quickly. I'm leaving." The saddlebag and its contents vanished and appeared beside Celestia. "Now."
Nefertari smiled slowly. "So you do have some fight in you after all... I look forward to getting to know you better, Queen of the sky."
It was as close to a surrender as Celestia felt she'd hear, and they both vanished in a bright flash. The return to Equestria would be long and crowded, and the truth may be far different than they originally planned.