Camaraderie is Sorcery

by FireOfTheNorth

Chapter 1:21 - Masters of the Land

Chapter 1:21 – Masters of the Land

The fire crackled as the logs shifted, sending up a cloud of sparks and a puff of smoke that momentarily obscured the six ponies and dragon around the fire. Twilight Sparkle mumbled a spell that would keep the sparks away from the scrolls, books, and maps laid out in front of her. A wolf howled in the distance, followed by the response of a pack, and Rainbow Dash loosened her sword in its sheath before a look from Fluttershy made her set the blade back down. Pinkamena was strumming away at her lute as she tried to compose a new song, with little success. Every so often, she’d jot something down on a piece of parchment in front of her, but the symbols she was using to represent her music were indecipherable to Twilight and seemed a wildly inconsistent notation. The sorceress sighed as she realized she’d absentmindedly jotted down a theoretical notation system for the common scale where she should’ve been writing her notes, and passed the sheet of parchment over to Spike for him to scrape clean.

“Looks like it might snow again tonight,” Rainbow Dash commented as she gazed at the sky, pointedly ignoring the howls of wolves, nearer this time.

“Again?” Rarity whinged from where she sat huddled in furs near the fire, “We could’ve arrived already, if we hadn’t had this with us.”

The this Rarity was referring to was the wagon that was currently sheltering her from the winter wind. Despite the fact that it was the worst time of the year to be transporting crops over a long distance, Applejack was doing it anyway.

“’Tis Apple family tradition t’ bring a portion o’ th’ harvest t’ share, an’ with all seven of us comin’, a couple o’ basketfuls jus’ wouldn’t do,” Applejack said.

It wasn’t the only wagon around, though it was the only one that held perishable goods. The Brave Companions had joined up with a caravan of traders on its way to Balte-Maer shortly after they’d left Ponieville. Though they doubted any brigands would want to stand up to both a Hunter and a sorceress, there was always more safety in larger numbers. Rarity was right, in that the Brave Companions could’ve made it to Appleoosa sooner had they not been so encumbered, but Applejack wouldn’t hear of it.

The Ponieville Apples had received a mysterious message from the McLellan branch of the family urging them to visit, but Applejack was the only one who would be doing the visiting. Granny Smith was too frail to travel such a distance in the middle of winter, Apple Bloom wanted to spend time “crusading” with her friends more than she wanted to meet relatives she’d never seen before, and Big McIntosh had to keep an eye on the farm while Applejack was away. Applejack had been wise enough to realize that traveling alone across Equestria in the dead of winter was a foolish idea, and had invited her friends to accompany her on her journey.

Twilight Sparkle had jumped at the opportunity, looking to use the trip to further her own agenda. She’d been so excited that she’d had Spike send a letter to Celestia immediately, and had received a reply back that implored all six of the Brave Companions to join the trip to Appleoosa. The south Equestry Valley was a tremendously disorganized place, where nopony really knew who ruled what except for the locals, and even they might have conflicting stories to tell. The area was theoretically under the control of Cant’r Laht, but all that really meant was that they had the most influence in the area, since the land was also claimed by Los Pegasus and Balte-Maer. There were a few nobles in the realm that pledged themselves to Celestia, but they were on the borders with the neighboring Equestrian nations and were left largely to their own affairs. In this uncertain middle ground, rule of law was less stable, and it had become common practice for unpopular tax collectors in Cant’r Laht to be sent here, since half of them never returned, regardless of how they acted.

Several decades ago, the McLellan branch of the Apple family had left Ponieville and moved south, seeking new lands to farm and a new place to call home. They had apparently found it and had built themselves the village they dubbed Appleoosa. The Apple family had always been loyal subjects of Celestia, who had been the one to grant them their lands near the Everfree, and Twilight Sparkle hoped that these members who’d left those lands had remained so. This was a chance to pull a region of the south Equestry Valley firmly into the Dominions of Cant’r Laht, and would hopefully act as a stepping stone to bringing the rest of these lands under control. The Brave Companions would be a formidable negotiating team, and Celestia had empowered them to make a treaty in her name between Appleoosa and Cant’r Laht.

To be the greatest diplomat she could be (and not be caught off guard, like with the Griffon Free Companies), Twilight spent every night they camped studying. She cross-referenced maps and surveys of the region going back four hundred years, and worked on her own map of what she saw as they traveled. She also pored through the laws of the Dominions of Cant’r Laht, which were a tangled affair of regional and local precedents, acts of the Lodge of Sorceresses, and Celestial decrees. She had to find some way to peaceably integrate Appleoosa into the Dominions that wouldn’t upset the other parts of the nation—or at least not provoke them to withhold taxes, demand additional privileges, or rise in open rebellion. The easy solution would be one that would cause mass protestations and rebellions, and that was to grant Appleoosa a special charter akin to the one Ponieville enjoyed. However, Celestia’s subjects already bristled at the preferential treatment that the hamlet received over them, and would never stand for a second Ponieville. Twilight was stuck with trying to figure out how to make Appleoosa an integral and special part of the Dominions of Cant’r Laht without causing uprisings, and the solution still eluded her.

“Do you have any idea why your relatives in Appleoosa wanted you to visit?” Fluttershy asked, before looking at the wolves approaching the camp and giving them a look like the one she’d given Rainbow Dash that sent them scampering away.

“Their letter didn’t say much,” Applejack said with a shake of her head, “Only that they wanted help from th’ family, an’ that it was urgent. It had t’ have been for them t’ pay for th’ letter t’ be delivered.”

“Well, perhaps we will find out tomorrow,” Rarity said as she stood, struggling to keep herself wrapped up, “I will be going to bed now, so as to be well-rested for the remainder of our journey.”

As Rarity shuffled off to her tent, the other Brave Companions prepared their own sleeping accommodations. They had learned on previous trips that it was unwise to stay up after Rarity went to sleep if they wanted to continue their conversations, as they would be sure to hear about it from the blacksmith the next morning. Each of the ponies headed to their own tents, except for Rainbow Dash, who would watch the fire burn down before turning in herself, as she needed less rest than the others. Twilight Sparkle gathered up her charts, books, and scrolls and tucked them away in her tent before carrying a half-asleep Spike in with her and turning in for the night. She spent some time staring at the canvas over her head, trying to think of a plan for Appleoosa, before drifting off to sleep.

***

The next day, the Brave Companions continued their journey, following the traders and their wagons through the snow. Most of them were talking about the royal procession Celestia had recently announced she’d be making through the Dominions of Cant’r Laht, but Twilight Sparkle’s mind was elsewhere. It wasn’t where she wanted it to be—focused on the integration of Appleoosa—but rather on her surroundings. The traders seemed incredibly on edge, constantly looking up at the surrounding hills. Their hired guards were also attentive, walking alongside the wagons instead of riding on them as they usually did.

“What do you think, Twilight, darling?” Rarity asked.

“Hmm, what?” Twilight asked as she blinked several times and turned to face her friends.

“Do you think Luna will be accompanying Celestia on her procession?” Rarity gave the sorceress context on the conversation she hadn’t been listening to.

“I have not heard anything on the matter,” Twilight said, slowing her trot to join back up with the companions she’d left behind in her absent-mindedness, “The purpose of the procession is for Celestia to personally reconnect with her subjects, so this would be the perfect opportunity for her to officially introduce Luna, especially if she is planning on having her sister join her in ruling, but I do not know what Celestia’s intentions are.”

“Up there!” somepony up ahead called, and every set of eyes in the caravan followed the pointing hoof.

Atop one of the nearby hills stood a twiggy, hairy quadruped. None of the Brave Companions had ever seen such a creature in the flesh, though those that had studied the different races of creatures in Equestria (Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle) could take a guess. It was a young bison, though just what her purpose for being here was was uncertain. She didn’t seem to be doing anything other than watching.

“Crossbows!” the leader of the caravan’s guard shouted, and the other guards jumped into action, drawing and loading their weapons.

The speed of the lead wagons picked up, and the Brave Companions hurried to follow suit, though they weren’t sure just why. None of the guards had fired their crossbows yet, though they all looked like they wanted to take a shot at the bison looking down on the group. Twilight was about to ask why they had drawn their weapons in the first place when a barrage of arrows suddenly flew over the nearby hills, from behind the bison. Ponies took cover as the shafts sailed down, and several of the guards and traders were struck, though not fatally.

“Falan otha Ye!^[1]” Twilight yelled, and a shield sprang up around her, deflecting an arrow bound for her head.

She’d have liked to project a shield around all the Brave Companions, but she was not yet able to do so without drawing a magic circle around them, and there was no time for that. Fluttershy ducked under the wagon, an arrow nearly striking her tail, and Pinkamena hid behind the wagon. Rainbow Dash drew her sword and deflected an arrow headed for Rarity, burying the shaft in the ground nearby. Spike, who’d been riding on the wagon, ducked under the covering and took shelter among the goods within. Applejack had no opportunity to seek cover, but the nearest arrow to her missed her body and snapped the strap connecting her to the wagon.

“Fire! Fire! Fire!” the lead guard ordered before pulling an arrow from her shoulder with her teeth.

A great herd of bison charged over the hills, bearing down on the caravan. The largest of them had younger fighters on their backs, firing bows attached to their mounts’ makeshift armor. Crossbows fired, and several bison fell, but it barely made a dent in the wave of oncoming warriors now drawing their swords. Guards and traders drew weapons, though most of the traders looked too nervous to actually use them, and focused on urging the wagons on instead of forming a defensive line. The bison crashed into the ponies, the younger ones jumping off the backs of their elders at the last moment and drawing their own weapons as they rolled across the ground. They didn’t pause long, though, preferring to keep moving, and ducked and weaved past the guards and wagons instead of sticking around for a drawn-out confrontation.

Other than Rainbow Dash, the Brave Companions were unarmed, and the guards were focused on protecting the ponies that were paying them for their services. Several bison were headed toward Applejack’s cart, and all but Rainbow and Twilight sought protection from the attackers. Rainbow Dash shot into the air before tossing a bomb at the bison that they all managed to dodge, but left a sooty mark in the snow. The Hunter whirled as she descended, her blade meeting a bison’s axe.

“Occosparis, renolla diel’r oxelle’i!^[2]” Twilight incanted as she levitated a half-dozen snowballs around herself.

One by one, she threw the snowballs at the charging bison, and they exploded into spears of ice spikes as they neared the creatures. Several were impaled, and one of them managed to dodge the explosion of ice only to meet Rainbow Dash’s blade.

“Aliminezaar!^[3]” one of the bison shouted, warning the others still charging that a sorceress was here.

The other bison were more careful as they approached, watching out for the deadly snowballs Twilight was chucking their way. It was obvious to her that she wouldn’t be able to hold them off forever, not like this. Up ahead, the bison had broken through and overrun one of the wagons. One of them tried to haul it away, but was quickly riddled with crossbow bolts. A second stepped in and was successful, protected by other bison with heavier padding, and the wagon rolled away through a gap in the hills. The other wagons focused on moving onward, the guards directing their fire forward to clear a path. With every second, the Brave Companions became more separated from the group.

“We have to run! Everypony close your eyes!” Twilight shouted before facing the oncoming bison and doing the same, “Cas binna assi mer Casiye’r spilie!^[4]”

A blindingly bright globe of light appeared momentarily in front of the sorceress. Every bison nearby stumbled and fell as they were temporarily rendered blind. Having been so close to the flash herself, even with her eyes closed, it took Twilight a moment to blink away the ache from her eyes. Some of her friends had already begun running to catch up with the caravan, but Applejack was (unsuccessfully) trying to pull the wagon along.

“Leave it!” Twilight Sparkle said as she pulled the farmer away from it, “Our lives are not worth it!”

Applejack begrudgingly abandoned the wagon and joined the others in galloping toward the traders, who were pulling free of the bison, a task made easier for them by the fact that some of them had been drawn to the noise and gotten blinded by Twilight’s spell as well. Rainbow Dash only had to strike out with her sword a few times to clear the path to the caravan, as most of the bison in their way were still shaking off sorcery. When they rejoined the traders, the bison were apparently done with their attack, and began disappearing back into the surrounding hills.

“Is everypony alright?” Rainbow Dash asked after sheathing her sword.

Everypony nodded, counting their blessings that they’d survived that attack with the little protection they had. Nopony would question that it had been a good idea to join up with the caravan for protection now, for they never would’ve stood up to all those bison on their own, even if they were the Brave Companions. Applejack was glum, having been forced to leave behind her gift for her family, but she would recover; everypony was safe, and that was more important than the traditional sharing of the harvest.

“Um, where’s Spike?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight stopped immediately in her trot. Her page had been on the wagon when the attack had begun, and she hadn’t seen him since. He was most likely still in the wagon, which meant that the bison now had him!

“Don’t worry; I’ll find him,” Rainbow promised before shooting up into the air.

“Wait, Rainbow Dash! We need a plan!” Twilight Sparkle called after her.

“You go on ahead, I’ll be able to find Appleoosa easy enough! I’ll meet you there!” the Hunter called back just before she passed out of earshot.

***

Twilight Sparkle hoped that maybe Spike had escaped, in which case Rainbow Dash would easily be able to spot him and bring him back to the caravan. However, things were not so fortunate, and there was still no sign of the Hunter by the time they came in sight of Appleoosa. There was no sign of Pinkamena, either, though Twilight knew for a fact that she had made it back to the caravan after the ambush. The bard was nowhere to be found, however, even after a search of all the traders’ wagons. She hoped that, if she had gone after Spike as well, which she feared, that at least she’d managed to join up with Rainbow Dash for protection.

Fields and orchards surrounded the village of Appleoosa, all desolate now in the middle of winter. Still, given their expanse, Twilight wondered just how many ponies lived here. The town itself was not incredibly large, and was surrounded with a mere wooden palisade like Ponieville. Curiously, though, the sorceress spotted the beginnings of some stone sections of wall around the palisade, the blocks that hadn’t been moved into place yet sitting on sleds. As they entered the village, she also noticed ongoing construction to strengthen a large and rather unsteady-looking house in the middle of town. The town was filled with ponies out and about in the cold, most of them contributing in some way to the construction efforts. One of them excitedly made his way over to the Brave Companions as he spotted them wandering in with the traders.

“As ah live an’ breathe, ah cannae believe et. Ye mad et, Applejack!” the gold-coated stallion exclaimed as he approached the group and embraced the farmer.

“Cousin Braeburn,” Applejack returned the greeting, “It’s good t’ see you again. We ran int’ some trouble on th’ way.”

“Plenty o’ time fer that latter,” Braeburn said, “First, ye’ll have tae introduce me tae yer famus friends.”

“Braeburn, I’m serious,” Applejack said firmly.

“So am ah,” Braeburn responded, completely ignoring her concern, “We kin do that after I show ye aboot town, ah’s’pose.”

“Braeburn,” Applejack tried to cut him off as he trotted through Appleoosa.

“E’en though we mibay far fae other towns, ye’ll see we have a’thing any town needs, like our local tavern, the Salt Block,” Braeburn said as he gestured to one of the nicest buildings in town, which seemed busy even though it wasn’t yet noon.

“Braeburn,” Applejack said urgently as she followed him with the rest.

“This is th’ hoose o’ Sheriff Silver Star, Appleoosa’s chosen ladder,” Braeburn announced as they cantered past the large, central house that was being shored up. Twilight made a mental note that Appleoosa already had a leader, so that would need to be taken into account when discussing how the town should join the Dominions of Cant’r Laht. The mental note reminded her of her usual note-taker, though, and why Applejack was desperately trying to get Braeburn to cease praising the town for more than a second.

“Braebur-” Applejack pressed on, getting cut off this time before she could even finish their guide’s name.

“As ye kin see, we have a smith, armorer, farrier, an’ fletcher,” Braeburn said as they sped past the shops, “An’ an inn fer travelers, as well as dancin’ at night.”

“Brae-”

“Isnae just Apples ‘ere no more; we’ve goat outsiders comin’ tae stay, tae.”

“Br-”

“An’ one o’ th’ most important parts o’ Appleoosa, our catapult!” Braeburn announced proudly as they came to a stop before the weapon.

“How did you build a catapult?” Twilight Sparkle asked before Braeburn could launch into his description of another part of the town they’d already seen the majority of in their short tour.

“Well, we dinnae build et, exactly,” Braeburn said, “’Twas found on a ba’lefield nearby, an’ we brought et back ‘ere, set et up, an’ built that platform so’s we kin rotate et tae cover all ‘round th’ town. Ye ever seen som’ing like et?”

Instead of replying, the sorceress looked at Applejack, who gave her a thankful nod in response.

“’Tis a great town an’ all, an’ real impressive, but we have a huge problem I’ve been tryin’ t’ tell y’ about,” Applejack explained, “We’ve lost some o’ our friends on th’ way!”

“A herd of bison attacked the caravan,” Fluttershy offered.

“We think Spike was taken by them,” Rarity added.

“Rainbow Dash left to pursue them, but she has not yet returned,” Twilight Sparkle said.

“And Pinkamena is missing, too,” Fluttershy said.

“They ambushed us, an’ took th’ wagon o’ food I was bringin’ t’ y’,” Applejack finished.

“Bison?” Braeburn said worriedly, having looked increasingly nervous ever since Fluttershy had first mentioned them, “They’ve bin nothin’ but trouble fer us lately. They attack traders on th’ road, farmers in th’ fields, an’ disappear without a trace.”

“Why would they do something like that?” Fluttershy asked.

“Ah donnae ken,” Braeburn replied, shrugging with frustration, “We wiz fine here ‘til they showed up an’ demanded we leave, said this wiz their land, tho’ we ne’er seen ‘em afore. That’s why we sent fer ye, Applejack. We wiz hopin’, ye bein’ famus an’ all now, that ye could help put this matter tae rest.”

“Celestia has sent us here to settle things in the region, so we should speak to these bison,” Twilight Sparkle said, “Though, if they want any stake in things, they had better not harm Spike, Rainbow Dash, or Pinkamena.”

“If they really took yer friends, I’d say they’re oaf tae an awful start already,” Braeburn commented.

***

Where could they have disappeared to? Rainbow Dash had thought she’d have a much easier time locating the bison than she was having. It was the middle of winter, and that many bison made enough tracks that any pegasus—not just a Hunter—should’ve easily been able to follow them from the air. At first, things were just like that; the trail was easy to follow, especially with two wagons being dragged along, but then the path went into a forest. The wagons were discarded, but empty; all the goods, along with Spike, had been removed. The problem now was not that there were no tracks to follow, but too many. Almost every gap in the trees bore the prints of bison hooves, fresh and old. They were all overlapped, and nearly impossible to keep straight, even for an expert Hunter like Dash. She soon found herself lost among the trees, and flying above them to look around hadn't helped.

“Where could they have gone?” Rainbow Dash grumbled to herself as she traced yet another set of tracks, “They have to be somewhere.”

“Maybe they’re over there,” Pinkamena suggested as she popped out unexpectedly from behind a tree, startling Dash so much that she tripped over a root and faceplanted.

“Pinkamena, what are you doing here?” Rainbow Dash asked frantically as she looked around the forest.

“I followed you! Or, I started, but soon lost you with all your loop-de-looping around the forest. Good thing you found me,” Pinkamena said, ignoring the Hunter’s motioning for her to lower her voice.

“You need to go back to the others,” Rainbow said, before realizing that she probably didn’t know the way back, and couldn’t find it without having Rainbow scout it out for her.

“But then how would I help you find Spike?” Pinkamena asked, tilting her head quizzically to the side.

“I appreciate the gesture, but I really don’t need help,” Rainbow Dash said, “Besides, you’re not exactly the stealthiest pony.” Even if you do manage to surprise ponies by appearing in the most inexplicable places with no explanation as to how you got there.

“Aw, but I can’t leave now,” Pinkamena complained.

“Listen, Pinkamena, my only chance of getting Spike back is to take the bison by surprise, grab Spike, and get out of there as fast as I can,” Rainbow Dash explained, “You don’t have my Hunter training, you don’t have the skills to move silently and sneak up on an unsuspecting foe, and with you with me we’ll have a higher chance of being caught.”

“Might be a little late to worry about that,” Pinkamena said, looking over Dash’s shoulder.

The Hunter whirled and drew her sword as she realized they were surrounded by bison closing in on them from among the trees. Arrows were drawn back, and the bison drew their own weapons as they tightened the noose. If it came to it, Rainbow figured it would be possible for her to grab Pinkamena and fly away, but as long as there remained a chance she could defeat these bison and obtain information on where they were keeping Spike, she would take it.

“Wait!” a familiar voice called out before the bison were within swinging range, and Spike emerged from among the herd, “These are my friends.”

“That one killed some of ours,” one of the bison said, pointing at Rainbow Dash.

“And you killed ponies too, didn’t you?” Spike asked with crossed forearms, and Rainbow Dash could almost swear the bison looked ashamed.

“What … is happening?” the Hunter asked in confusion as she dropped her weapon.

“It’s a long story,” Spike said, “Come on, I’ll explain back at the camp.”

***

The bison’s camp was set up on the edge of the forest Rainbow Dash had been wandering through, sheltered beneath the overhanging trees that hid it from above. No wonder she had been unable to spot it while flying. Semi-permanent hut-like tents made up the camp, smoke rising from holes in the tops of those that currently had bison within. Rainbow Dash, Pinkamena, and Spike were seated around a fire outdoors. The ponies had bowls of a strange mash before them that Rainbow Dash was hesitant to touch, still not trusting the bison. Spike was munching on a roasted rabbit from the forest.

“So, you see, they had no idea I was in the wagon, and they feel really guilty about taking me against my will,” Spike explained while grease dripped down his claws, “They really respect dragons, and I mean really respect them, like I’m practically a god here.”

“Great, when can we leave?” Rainbow Dash asked, rising with her food untouched and scouting out the best way to get through the camp.

“Well, the bison offered to take me to Appleoosa immediately after they found out what happened, but they also offered to hunt for a meal for me, and you know how infrequently I’m able to get meat living among ponies …”

“They’re not going to hold us here, Rainbow Dash,” Pinkamena said, “Come on, there’s plenty of time to eat.”

Rainbow Dash didn’t come back immediately, and instead inspected the nearest dwelling. A young bison approached the fire, and Pinkamena waved at her, but her attention was entirely focused on Spike.

“Is everything to your liking?” she asked with a raised head (which for almost any other creature would be taken as a sign of haughtiness, but for a race with horns that one could harm a foe with when their head was lowered, it meant the opposite.)

“It’s great,” Spike said as he finished off the rabbit, and the bison smiled, “What was your name, again?”

“In the tongue of my people, it is Coccokohote owalla,” the bison said.

“Which, in Low Equestrian, is Little Strongheart, right?” Spike asked.

“Yes, that is what I am called in the pony tongue,” Little Strongheart confirmed.

Rainbow Dash looked back absentmindedly at the conversation before returning to her investigation. Her back went rigid as she realized something nopony else who’d been at the ambush could have noticed, thanks to her improved vision as a Hunter.

“You!” Rainbow Dash said accusatorially as she spun around and advanced on the bison, “You were on the hill, watching us! You were in charge of the ambush!”

“Yes, I was,” Little Strongheart said, standing her ground, but unfastening the strap over her knife’s hilt, “Things are not as you think they are, though.”

“Oh, so you didn’t attack and rob a caravan of traders, killing several ponies in the process?” Rainbow Dash said venomously.

“No, we did, but we had a reason,” Little Strongheart protested.

“I don’t know any reason good enough to explain away banditry,” the Hunter scoffed, reaching for her own weapon.

“It was a vicious attack, yes, but this is what the Appleoosans have brought us to,” the bison said, and Rainbow paused in drawing her sword, still not relaxing, though, “These ponies have stolen our land, and have refused to leave even after our demands. So, we steal from them in return, taking away the trade they need to survive in order to force them out. In reply, they spread word about bandits, so that traders will hire guards and mercenaries to kill us, and so we must now fight and kill to stop the trade from reaching them. They have started this fight, but they seek to pin the blame for it on us.”

“It’s still not much of an excuse . . . but I guess I could understand,” Rainbow Dash said after some thoughtful contemplation, “If this land truly is yours. I’ve never heard of bison living in this area.”

“Of course you wouldn’t have!” a great, booming voice entered the conversation as a beefy bison bull emerged from a nearby dwelling, “No ponies would ever tell you that we live here, because then they would not be free to take it from us! That is what they do, they cheat and they steal, and they treat us like filth because we are lower than them just because we live different lives!”

“My father, Chief Thunderhooves,” Little Strongheart introduced the older bison to Pinkamena and Rainbow Dash.

“Khan Nóratotekkah, do not call me by that pony name!” Thunderhooves said angrily.

“Ola, durare; moli uargu^[5],” Little Strongheart apologized.

“Sometimes I think she cares more for ponies than her own kind,” Thunderhooves complained to Spike, completely ignoring his daughter and the two ponies present.

“That is untrue,” Strongheart protested, “I only see that we must find a way to live together and deal with them. Prolonged conflict will only bring our destruction.”

“Enough!” Thunderhooves shouted, slamming his hoof down, “I will make no deals with ponies. Our people our proud, and if we attempt to bend, we will only break our own backs! Remember this when you are khan one day!”

“So, about the land …” Spike said, trying to get the conversation back on track.

“Of course, wise one,” Thunderhooves said, raising his head to Spike, “These lands of the south have been ours for generations. Our herd has traveled from the Shimmering Sea to the Blazing Ocean and back along the same path for generations, and never have we allowed ponies to impede our progress. These … Appleoosans seek to defy us, and they have withstood us so far, but our patience is running thin. If they do not leave soon, we will have no choice but to crush them, like so many other settlements that refused our rights to us.”

“Well, Rainbow Dash, what do you think?” Spike asked once Chief Thunderhooves finished his speech.

The Hunter pondered the situation. What the bison were doing, attacking traders as if they were no better than bandits, was wrong, but was the reason for doing so good enough? One race moving in with little regard to another; this was a familiar story, especially in Equestria. For Rainbow Dash’s people, it had been the unicorns who’d invaded, and the end result had been the entire erasure of the pegasus culture. Would that happen again, if Appleoosa and its denizens pressed into these lands that the bison had inhabited for far longer?

“This raiding of caravans needs to stop,” Rainbow Dash said slowly, and Spike was worried that she would do something foolish, like attack the bison around her in retribution, but then the Hunter turned around with a cocky grin on her face, “If the Appleoosans move, there will be no more need for such attacks, right?”

“We’re only doing it to force them to leave and give back the land they’ve stolen,” Little Strongheart said, and looked at her stone-faced father.

“Well, then Appleoosa has to go,” Rainbow Dash said with conviction, “Lucky for you, Pinkamena and I have some leverage over the town, and I think it’s time we applied it.”

***

The remaining Brave Companions were preparing to depart from Appleoosa’s western gate to search for their missing comrades. Rainbow Dash (and Pinkamena) had taken too long; they were assumed either lost or captured, and feared to have been killed. They wouldn’t be setting out alone, though; several of the townsponies, including Braeburn, would be leaving with them. The Appleoosans knew the land better than these newcomers ever could, and they would be bringing weapons with which to defend themselves from the bison, or attack them if that was the only way to free the missing dragon and ponies.

“Pinkamena?” Fluttershy asked uncertainly as they trotted through one of the many orchards surrounding the town, “It is her!”

The druidess galloped ahead, and the others quickly overtook her as they spotted the pink mane bounding among the trees too. At her side trotted Rainbow Dash, Spike seated upon the Hunter’s back.

“Spike, you are safe!” Twilight exclaimed as she ran up to the dragon while he dismounted, “What happened? How did you escape?”

“Escape?” Pinkamena snorted, “Easy, we didn’t!”

The Appleoosans drew their weapons as Pinkamena pointed at the young bison among the trees behind them. Twilight tried to determine if she was the same one who had overseen the ambush on the caravan, but couldn’t decide if she was. Just to be safe, she scanned her surroundings and prepared some spells in case of another ambush.

“Wait!” Rainbow Dash cried out, placing herself between the ponies and the bison, who looked prepared to flee at any moment, “We talked to the bison, and we promised them the opportunity to be heard out by the Appleoosans, and by the Brave Companions.”

“Really?” Applejack said skeptically, “An’ just what is it they have t’ say?”

“This is Little Strongheart, daughter to the bison’s chief. She’ll explain the situation and why Appleoosa should go,” Rainbow Dash introduced the bison as she led her toward the ponies, Strongheart glancing nervously at the Appleoosan’s weapons.

“Well, ah s’pose et cannae hurt tae hear the reason fer aw this trouble,” Braeburn (who hadn’t drawn his weapon when the others had) said as he stepped forward to greet Little Strongheart.

“An’ y’ can try t’ explain t’ them how much work y’ve put in just t’ survive, an’ how there’s no way Appleoosa is goin’ anywhere,” Applejack prodded her cousin, who didn’t look to disagree with what she was saying in any way, but still appeared uncomfortable.

“That would be useful to know, so we can all come to agreement,” Little Strongheart addressed Braeburn directly, and he appeared slightly less uncomfortable, until Rainbow Dash cut off whatever the bison was about to say next.

“This land is in bison territory,” the Hunter addressed Applejack, completely bypassing the two creatures who actually lived here and had to work things out, “Maybe your family didn’t know that when they settled here, maybe they did. What matters is that they shouldn’t be here. They have to move out.”

“Why should they?” Applejack demanded, going head-to-head with Rainbow Dash, “They worked hard t’ plant th’ fields an’ orchards an’ build their town! Goin’ somewhere else, an’ leavin’ all this t’ rot just isn’t an option, ‘specially not in th’ middle o’ winter!”

“The bison were here first!”

“When th’ McLellans arrived, th’ land was empty! There were no bison here then, they have no right t’ demand land they were nowhere near when ‘twas settled!”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack continued to go back and forth, arguing their points passionately. Meanwhile, Braeburn and Little Strongheart looked more and more nervous. Twilight Sparkle watched with unease as well. The Brave Companions were supposed to be Celestia’s appointed representatives to make an agreement with the region’s residents, which it was increasingly obvious would need to include the bison, and here they were fighting each other. At least nopony could accuse them of taking a side, but this couldn’t go on.

“Enough!” Twilight exclaimed, taking everyone off guard, “Rainbow Dash, Applejack: nothing will be accomplished just from the two of you arguing. Braeburn, Little Strongheart: I am afraid things will not be settled by the two of you here either. Bringing along a representative of the bison was a good idea, but this is an issue that cannot be settled by proxy alone. We need to get the leaders of each side together to talk and come to an agreement. We need a parley.”

***

While this simple parley was nowhere near as grand as the summit that Celestia had planned for the spring, Twilight Sparkle couldn’t help but feel pride and the sense that her mentor would approve. Like the immortal sorceress, Twilight was bringing together parties that seemed irredeemably at odds to settle their differences and make a lasting peace. At least, that’s how she hoped the parley would go. In the time leading up to it, she received unsettling word about the temperaments of Chief Thunderhooves and Sherriff Silver Star from Spike and Braeburn respectively. Perhaps it had been wrong to go straight to the top, but this was likely the only way a lasting settlement could be reached.

The day of the parley, the day after the Brave Companions had arrived in Appleoosa, dawned clear and bright, the snow nearly blinding the delegation from the village as they trotted out to the appointed meeting place. A spot near Boulder Brook, a tributary of the South Equestry River, had been chosen for the ponies and bison to sit down and hash out their differences in a way that didn’t involve them killing each other. It was an ancient meeting spot the bison claimed as their own, but which Twilight knew immediately after seeing the height of the central stone table and the size of the stone stools around it had certainly been built by the pegasi.

That was the trouble with this issue. The bison claimed this land as their own, because they had been here first, but that wasn’t really true. They’d been here before the Appleoosans, to be certain, but the idea that they’d been on this land forever was absurd. Like earth ponies, gryphons, and all monsters, they’d only entered this world roughly nine thousand years earlier in the Conjunction. Before that, unicorns had ruled Equestria, and they’d taken the continent from the pegasi. That was the story of Equestria: always one group taking it by force from another. The pegasi had been conquered by the unicorns, who had in turn been conquered by the earth ponies. Now, earth pony nations reigned supreme in Equestria, but that could easily change with another millennium.

“Ow!” Twilight exclaimed as Spike pinched her, bringing her out of her contemplation of time and back to the parley she’d helped organize.

The bison were arriving now, and took their places around the great stone table. At the head of their group was a heavily muscled bull with an ornate headdress—Chief Thunderhooves. At his side were Little Strongheart and several warriors from his herd. The table was divided in three, with the Appleoosans located clockwise from the bison. Sheriff Silver Star was in the most prominent position, with important town members (all of them Apples of the McLellan branch) around him. Braeburn was also present, drawing attention to the fact that he had more of a pull in town matters than he’d claimed. The Brave Companions occupied the other third of the table, seated between the two groups as mediators.

“Attacks on traders must cease; we must reach an agreement here that sees peace return,” Twilight Sparkle began her speech, “We have been appointed by Celestia to seek such a peace. We are here to facilitate, but it must be you that reach an agreement with each other if we hope to have a lasting peace between bison and ponies. Celestia is eager to see these lands come under her protection in the Dominions of Cant’r Laht, whatever form that may take.”

“I care not what the Old Witch wants,” Chief Thunderhooves replied in an attack on Celestia that shocked even Little Strongheart, “There is no bargaining to be done with ponies. These lands are ours; that is the fact. Give back what you have stolen, or we will take it!”

“We’ve stolen nothin’!” Sheriff Silver Star shot back, “This land wiz empty when we goat here! We’ve been here fer years now an’ ne’er seen hide nor tail o’ ye afore! Some o’ us were born an’ grew up here, an’ ye expect us just tae leave wi’out a fight!”

On no. This is just like Applejack and Rainbow Dash! Have I only made things worse?

“We have followed the same path for generations!” Thunderhooves rumbled, “My father followed it, as did his father, and his father before him, and his father before him, and his father before him, and on and on! You expect us to abandon our traditions without a fight!”

“If et’s a fight ye want, et’s a fight ye’ll get!” Silver Star said as he stood and slammed his hooves on the table, “Appleoosa stays, an’ we’ll track down a’ry last bison if we have tae tae defend ourselves!”

“Wait! There must be some way to work this out,” Twilight Sparkle said as she stood, joining the majority of those around the table at this point.

“Stay out of this!” Thunderhooves and Silver Star rebuked the sorceress simultaneously.

“Seems we found somethin’ else tae agree in,” Sheriff Silver Star said icily, “This matter is between us an’ the bison.”

“We will give you one day,” Chief Thunderhooves said ominously while Little Strongheart looked aghast, “If Appleoosa is not emptied by noon tomorrow, we will kill every pony we find.”

Both sides stomped off to their respective homes, looking ready to kill each other right now. There would be plenty of time for that tomorrow, though, everyone knew. Neither side would be backing down, and there would be blood. Twilight Sparkle stood shocked as her plans crumbled around her. The parley had had the opposite effect intended, and she couldn’t help but wonder what the outcome of the spring summit would be if things were able to go so terribly wrong here.

***

“There must be some other way,” Applejack said glumly.

All through the day, the Brave Companions had tried to talk sense into both parties, but neither would hear a word of it. While Spike, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkamena worked on the bison, the other four tried to convince the Appleoosans to take another course of action. It was all for naught, especially since both sides would have to agree to come to the negotiating table. Neither wanted to take the risk, especially given how obstinate and unyielding the other had seemed at the parley.

Defeated, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Rarity sat in the inn’s common room and tried to think of a plan. Braeburn had claimed dances were held here at night, but there were no dancers to be seen; they were all busy working on shoring up the defenses on the palisade and Sheriff Silver Star’s house. Applejack’s cousin sat with the Brave Companions, looking just as dejected as the rest of them.

“Ah wish there was, but Sheriff Silver Star willnae listen tae me,” Braeburn bemoaned their predicament, “He doesnae care how many o’ us might die, so long as we win in the end.”

“He must realize that even if the bison are beaten, the survivors will just retreat into hiding in the countryside and continue to strike against traders,” Twilight Sparkle said, “If he attempts to hunt them down, he will only lose more ponies, for they know this land better than you do.”

“Ah ken, ah ken,” Braeburn said, “But we McLellans are just as proud as the bison, ef nae more so. We cannae just leave the town, either; ‘tis an absurd demand fer the bison tae make.”

“Yes, that is why I hoped to work out a compromise at the parley,” Twilight grumbled as she stared at her empty tankard.

The inn’s door slammed open and close, letting in the winter wind that the Appleoosans working outside were bundled up against, and a young mare named Honey emerged from the cold. They had met her earlier in the day, accompanying her father Silver Star as he made the rounds of the town and issued jobs and orders to its residents to prepare for tomorrow’s attack. Honey waited no time in trotting directly up to the table the Brave Companions were seated around.

“Ah’ll come straight tae the point,” she addressed Twilight Sparkle, “Ah ken ye spoke out agin’ this, but when et comes down tae et, yer still a pony, an’ we need tae know ef we kin count on yer magic t’morrow.”

The sorceress considered the situation. She didn’t much feel like helping out ponies that had spurned her attempt to establish peace between them and the bison, but she was not the kind of sorceress who would condemn a town because of pettiness. The Brave Companions had been instructed by Celestia to bring Appleoosa into the Dominions of Cant’r Laht, and that couldn’t happen if the town no longer existed. Furthermore, even if they were victorious tomorrow, their strength would be much diminished, and it might not be worth bringing them into the Dominions if there was nothing for them to offer. The aid of a sorceress could ensure their victory with fewer losses, and perhaps put an end to the affair if no bison were able to escape.

“No, I cannot,” Twilight Sparkle answered. She had placed herself as the mediator in this dispute between the bison and the Appleoosans, and to pick a side now would be despicable.

“Fine! We’ll beat those bison t’morrow on our own, an’ we’ll see what Celestia thinks o’ that!” Honey said, storming off and leaving the inn the way she’d entered.

“Ah admire yer conviction tae stay true tae yer neutrality, but ah wonder ef et’ll hold t’morrow, ‘specially ef the bison overrun the walls,” Braeburn said before draining the rest of his tankard, and spoke the next bit quietly to himself, “’An ef yer friend Rainbow Dash joins the other side.”

***

“There has to be some other way to work things out, something the Appleoosans can do besides tearing down their town and abandoning their fields,” Spike said after a day about as productive as the one his friends in Appleoosa had had.

It was much the same story in the bison camp as in the town. Spike, Pinkamena, and Rainbow Dash tried to convince the bison to seek another solution, but were turned away constantly. As they prepared for the next day’s battle, many of the bison didn’t want ponies in the camp at all (though Spike was welcomed for the belief that he would bring good fortune). Rainbow Dash and Pinkamena got the worst of the abuse, being forced out several times, and being let back into the camp by Little Strongheart each time, who agreed with their arguments even though she couldn’t act on them.

“My father is proud, and distrusting of ponies,” the young bison replied to Spike as they and the two ponies sat around a fire under the stars, “Tradition is everything to him, and he does not understand the danger it puts him in when he refuses to look at things any other way. He would rather our people die out, and all our traditions with us, than we should concede to the wishes of others.”

“But you don’t feel that way,” Rainbow Dash commented.

“My father thinks I am too much like ponies, because I have spent time studying you, watching you, learning from you. There is much for each of us to learn from each other, but that cannot happen if every disagreement comes to violence,” Little Strongheart said, “Our history is of the great Path, our circuit from one expanse of waves to another, filled in between with bounty and glory, and I can appreciate that, but I see also a history of meaningless conflict. Bison and ponies are very different. You stay in one place and tend the land, we travel to and fro, feeding off the bounty of nature. You set up kings and sheriffs to rule over you from stone keeps or great wooden houses, we are a family led by a chief who lives among his people in a dwelling just like those around it. Because we are different does not mean that we cannot both live in the same land. There are many ways we can coexist, I know there are.”

“Have you shared your ideas with others?” Pinkamena asked.

“My father does not want to hear them, and though he may be obstinate and blind to the dangerous path we run, he is still the chief, and we will follow his direction,” Little Strongheart sighed, “There is no other way. Blood will be spilled tomorrow, and one of our stories will come to an end. Will it be the story of the Appleoosans, or the story of the bison? I dread to consider the likely outcome.”

***

The night and following morning passed swiftly, and with no progress toward peace. Shortly before noon, the appointed hour that Chief Thunderhooves had demanded all ponies be gone from Appleoosa, Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack left the town. Applejack was torn, wanting to help her family, but in the end, she was convinced that the Brave Companions had to stay out of the fight and bear whatever outcome came. The imposed neutrality was hard on all of them, and they felt sick to be abandoning a town to what could be its doom. They wouldn’t be returning to Ponieville just yet, however. From a nearby hill, they could look out on the town and watch events unfold. Twilight was relieved to see Rainbow Dash, Pinkamena, and Spike join them on the hill, though not so happy that they hadn’t been successful in changing the bison’s minds.

Shortly after they arrived, so too did the bison, armed and ready for battle. Assembled as a herd where the ponies atop Appleoosa’s palisade could surely see them, they looked quite frightening. Twilight Sparkle worried just how long the exposed wooden portions of the town’s wall would hold up against such determined and bulky warriors. Chief Thunderhooves looked to the sky, which was overcast from the morning’s snow, and gauged the position of the sun. With a snort, he apparently decided that is was close enough to noon that the Appleoosans’ time was up.

“Kurare!^[6]” he yelled, and the bison surged forward.

“Fire!” Sheriff Silver Star commanded from his post atop the palisade.

From behind Appleoosa’s walls, arrows flew into the sky, falling far short of the bison, but giving those atop the wall an opportunity to gauge range. The command was also passed back through the town to the catapult, which also let loose its load. Stones flew through the air, some of them striking bison as they charged, breaking bones and cracking skulls. While the Appleoosans were focused on the herd of bison charging the west gate, another group crept up from the south.

“Iturah hiregig!^[7]” their commander, Little Strongheart, ordered, and arrows sang from the bows of bison to strike the pony defenders atop the palisade looking in the wrong direction.

As the bison beneath Little Strongheart attacked the now mostly undefended southern gate, those attacking from the west began to fall to the Appleoosan arrows and one more catapult barrage before they were too close to the palisade. Their own archers returned fire over the walls while warriors led by Chief Thunderhooves assaulted the gate. The defenses were holding for now, but ponies within Appleoosa were darting around to deal with both threats simultaneously. The traders that the Brave Companions had traveled in with (and had stayed in Appleoosa to wait out the bison attacks) moved their wagons to the other side of town, where they hoped they’d be safe if the gates fell. The guards hired to protect them rushed to the southern gate upon hearing that the bison who’d led the attack on the caravan was leading the enemy forces there.

Chief Thunderhooves continued to pound on the gate, and the great log that had been used to bar it began to shake and crack, but still showed no sign of breaking any time soon. However, another part of the palisade that the ponies hadn’t had time to reinforce gave way, and several bison entered the town. Sheriff Silver Star spotted it immediately and called for defenders to join him as he descended the wall. Move ponies joined their sheriff as he rushed to the breach, too late to save the defenders unfortunate enough to have been nearby, but quick enough to keep the bison from getting deeper into town. Silver Star set about with his claymore, eviscerating bison and blocking swings of their swords. With a flourish, he cut the blade from the axe one of the bison was wielding and followed up by shoving his sword into the bison’s neck. The Appleoosans around him set up a cry as they drove the bison back toward the breach, shoving the massive corpses out of the way as they cut a path.

Rather than use brute force, Little Strongheart had ordered brush be piled against the southern gate and lit on fire. It took some time for the gate itself to catch, but the bison had plenty of cover in the form of an orchard and were better archers than their pony counterparts, so they could afford to wait. When she deemed that the gate was sufficiently weakened, she gave the order to charge, and the bison rushed from their hiding places and knocked the gates in. Immediately, they were met by crossbow bolts from the caravan guards, revenge for the members they’d lost two days earlier. Little Strongheart flipped out of the way, avoiding a bolt to her leg, and called for the other charging bison to get away from the gate.

She took a moment to come up with a plan before charging the palisade. The ponies had made a mistake in planting their orchard so close to the outskirts of the town. Still young, light, and limber, Little Strongheart was able to launch herself off the wall, off a nearby tree, and over the top of the palisade. Her sword cut through the neck of a startled pony as she landed on the narrow platform running around the inside. The young bison couldn’t stay still for a moment if she wanted to live, and launched herself at the nearest pony, swinging her sword through him while crossbow bolts sailed past.

Little Strongheart continued to leap, dodge, attack, and otherwise distract the ponies down below while the bison outside charged the gate. By the time the caravan guards realized what was happening, they had time only to get off a single, poorly-aimed volley at the oncoming bison before dropping their crossbows and drawing their swords. Appleoosans had been filtering in since word on the attack to the south had spread, and they now found themselves in a deadly melee with bison that seemed to pour through the gate endlessly.

***

“Sheriff Silver Star!” an out-of-breath mare called for his attention as he shoved a bison who’d managed to strike his helm into the path of two swords.

“Yes, what is et?” the sheriff asked after extricated himself from the fight, which had pushed the bison back through the breach and was now containing them while other ponies worked to haphazardly seal the hole in the palisade.

“The bison have overrun the defenders tae the south!” she reported, “We cannae contain them! We need yer help!”

Silver Star looked over at the nearby western gate, and the defenders gathered nervously behind it. The archers were getting low on arrows, but the shafts coming over the wall from the other side seemed endless. The log holding the gate closed was beginning to crack, and the bison would pour through any minute.

“Ah cannae,” the sheriff said with a shake of his head, “Ah cannae leave this lot wi’out a ladder.”

“Go, da! Ah’ll take over here,” Honey urged him, and he reluctantly nodded, sending her on her way to command the group at the gate before taking off toward the south himself.

***

“What’s going on, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash demanded to know as she hovered over the sorceress’s shoulder.

Unable to wait and watch from a distance, Twilight Sparkle had melted some snow into a small pool that she was using to scry the events going on in the town. Unfortunately, the pool was very small, as Twilight was still learning the skill of scrying, and she wasn’t able to control motion quite as well as she wanted. This resulted in lots of questions, something that the sorceress was resigned to.

“The bison have broken into the town both from the south and the west and are fighting toward the catapult,” Twilight reported, cursing under her breath as the sudden lapse in concentration caused the image to flip upside-down and skew off twenty leagues to the east.

“Oh no,” Applejack said fearfully, “Are they goin’ t’ kill th’ Appleoosans?” My family.

“No, the gates were never going to hold forever,” Twilight said as she tried to regain control of her scrying, “Many more bison have died in the assault, and they cannot keep going for long. It will be a messy melee in the center of town, but the ponies will likely come out victorious.”

***

As Twilight had predicted, it didn’t take long for both fights to merge into one (Appleoosa wasn’t exceptionally large, after all.) All around the catapult, bison and ponies were locked in combat. There was nowhere else to go, nowhere else to retreat, nothing else to do but die. Sheriff Silver Star found himself fighting Little Strongheart, and the two made a strangely matched duo. Silver Star flailed about with his great claymore, using it for both offense and defense, and relying on his helm and mail to protect him when the sword was not suited to provide all the protection. Little Strongheart’s weapon was much shorter, and she was not nearly as well armored, but she was far nimbler, dodging Silver Star’s swings with relative ease, though never well enough that she was able to break through his defense.

On the other side of the catapult, Chief Thunderhooves plowed through defenders, throwing them aside as if they were nothing, until he met his match in a similar situation as to the one Silver Star and his daughter were in. Honey had been trying to fight her way through to the bison chief ever since he’d crashed through the western gate, but other fights had kept her from him. No more. She launched herself at the mountain of muscle, relying on her speed to keep herself clear of his hooves and sword. His armor was substantial, and hers light, providing a direct contrast to their family members battling not far away.

Others steered clear of their clash, except for pony archers atop some of the nearby buildings, who rained down arrows on the bison chief when they weren’t trying to avoid the arrows of their counterparts on the ground. Honey ducked under one of Thunderhooves’s mighty swings and struck out with her sword at one of his forelegs, nicking it through a gap in his armor. His sword came back at her surprisingly quickly, and she almost managed to dodge it. The swing bent and twisted her mail along one side, restricting her mobility, but not gravely harming her.

She charged toward the bison as he swung his blade at her again, sick of this back and forth. The flat crashed against her back, but she managed to get close enough to open up a gash on Thunderhooves’s cheek. He struck out with a forehoof and threw her back with a powerful strike, and Honey rolled across the ground. A nearby pony with a pike charged blindly at Thunderhooves, and he knocked him aside, taking up the pike in his teeth himself.

Chief Thunderhooves and Honey locked eyes as he lowered the spear and charged to finish her off. The strike to her back had done more damage than she’d realized, and her hindlegs refused to respond, leaving her stranded where she was. She didn’t have much time, and reached out for the nearest weapon at hoof, a pike discarded by a fallen Appleoosan in the snow. Honey raised the weapon at the last moment, securing the shaft in the ground, and Thunderhooves impaled himself on it the same moment that his pike speared Honey through the throat.

The cries that went up from both of them as they died cut through the battlefield, and a hush fell. Every pony and bison ceased their fighting as the bison’s leader, and the ponies’ leader’s daughter died together. Silver Star and Little Strongheart stood frozen in place as they watched the person they cared about the most die before their eyes. Silver Star’s claymore slipped from his mouth, falling into the bloodstained snow as he stared at his dying daughter, and he didn’t notice until a moment later. His eyes snapped up with fear as he realized Little Strongheart was standing just paces away with a sword that she could've easily used to slit his throat before he could defend himself. He saw in her eyes that she was well aware of this fact, too. Instead, though, she did something nopony expected; she dropped her sword to the ground as well.

“Eikas mureyey!^[8]” Little Strongheart yelled, loud and clear so that everyone could hear.

“Lay down yer weapons!” Silver Star commanded, unknowingly mirroring Strongheart’s order.

Hesitantly, bison and pony alike dropped their swords, axes, spears, and bows. Sheriff Silver Star and Little Strongheart looked at each other, finally understanding each other, at least in some small way, and thinking that maybe that was enough to build a greater understanding.

***

The Treaty of Boulder Brook was signed three days later, after both sides had tended to their dead. Unlike the previous parley, this one was successful, much to the relief of Twilight Sparkle. She finally got the opportunity to facilitate negotiations that successfully established peace. Silver Star was much more reasonable this time around, and Strongheart was much more open to discussion than her father had been. In the end, the treaty satisfied the interests of the Appleoosans, the bison, and Celestia.

The treaty stipulated that Celestia would make Appleoosa and the surrounding lands a thanedom ruled by Silver Star. Little Strongheart—now Chief Strongheart—would also be receiving a new title: Warden of the South. Her herd would pledge loyalty to Celestia in exchange for the right to gather crops from any tended lands in her domain. The freshly minted thane and warden would balance bison and pony power in the south Equestry Valley. The Thanedom of Appleoosa could only expand into open bison territory with the permission of the Warden of the South. Likewise, the bison would receive a portion of all trading tolls collected by Appleoosa, the amount set by the thane. This would set up a way from each side to negotiate and settle disagreements in a way other than raiding or open warfare.

Twilight Sparkle was quite pleased with the treaty she had helped write up and was confident that it would last. Chief Thunderhooves had not been wary of making deals with ponies for no reason; bison had often made treaties with ponies and had seen them disregarded always for the ponies’ benefit. This one, however, had no restrictions other than that both thane and warden had to perform their duties without interfering with the duties of the other, and it was binding in perpetuity. Of, course, it wasn’t truly signed with no end condition, for that would be seen as an absurd and untrustworthy claim. It was signed with the next best thing, the same condition that ponies had been using for centuries on treaties and contracts that were intended to last forever. The treaty was binding, so long as Celestia lived, and not a single person, pony or bison, saw the possibility of any problems arising from such a condition.

Author's Note:

Hey! It's been a while since the last time something got published and even longer since I added some actual author's notes instead of just translations. I just want to say thanks to everyone still following this story and putting up with the gaps. I've got the rest of this season of Camaraderie is Sorcery completely written (as you can see on my User Page), and now it's just up to my editor to go through them. Good news is that the business for her is about over, so hopefully there will be a bunch of chapters coming soon.

As always, thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed, and feel free to let me know what you thought or your questions by comment or PM. I appreciate it and it lets me know that someone is actually reading this and planning for a 12-story, 340-chapter universe is worth it.

>>FireOfTheNorth

Translations

^[1]Language of the Horns (spell): Shield protect me!
^[2]Language of the Horns (spell): This snow, become spears of ice!
^[3]Equestrian Wisentish: (A) sorceress!
^[4]Language of the Horns (spell): Light shine with brilliance of the Sun!
^[5]Equestrian Wisentish: Yes, (my) father; (I) am sorry
^[6]Equestrian Wisentish: Charge!
^[7]Equestrian Wisentish: Loose arrows!
^[8]Equestrian Wisentish: Throw down (your) weapons!