B.D: Memoirs of a Rogue

Chapter V

PROPOSITION

I had another dream the following night. I saw a dark room, no entrance, no exit, with a single candle on a table in the middle and a chessboard by the side of it.

There was a hooded figure, moving its' pieces across the board with thought. The other pieces moved with no visible pony, nor magical aura moving them.

The figure and his counterpart seemed to be an even match. Both had equal losses, with no one at a gain, until one last move. The hooded figure moved a pawn to the opponent's edge, turning it into his lost queen. Checkmate. An ember spouted from atop the new queen.

The entire board burst aflame, the table holding it crumbling under its own weight.

The hooded figure grinned. It extinguished the candle with a hoof, disappearing into the shadow. I woke up.

* * *

The next morning wasn't nearly as bright and cheery as the others. Firstly, I was meant to attend an invitation by a creepy stallion who I didn't have a clue about, aside from him being, well, creepy. Secondly, my side was aching like hell. The 'promised' doctor still hadn't arrived. Cinders had a right to be apologetic.

"I'm sorry, Crow... once you're back, It'll be my first priority. I promise."

"Why can't you tell him I'll be in later? You know I can't be on my best behaviour like this!"

She bowed her head to the floor. "Like I said, Crow. This stallion could be the most important pony in the whole city for us. We can't go setting dates for him. It'd... give a bad impression."

"Way I see it, you're giving a bad impression by sending me without treatment," I huffed.

"Look, when you're ready, I'll lead you to his house," she said, evading my comment. "You can rant at me all you want afterwards."

I begrudgingly accepted her offer. She was very forward about me meeting with this client, and as much as I didn't like it, it was her command. She knocked off a decent amount of respect I had for her. Cinders was acting less like the great leader she always made out to be.

My body was giving me serious trouble to start off with. I could barely walk, let alone travel to somepony's house! Cinders led me out, eventually; passing through bustling streets where the workers flocked to their jobs. Nothing unusual. The two of us were silent. I didn't have anything else to say, and from the sounds of it, neither did she.

The trip into the centre of the city brought us to the rich district. We passed Melody Street on our way, and I took a glance at my former target. It looked similar to before, the spiked iron fences holding strong and tall as ever. The hole I'd squeezed under was covered by a stone slab, while the earth underneath the gate was risen slightly. They found out how I got in. I took a look at nearby mansions. They all had a similar setup, the potential passage blocked. "Huh."

Cinders turned her head from a flying pegasus to face me. "What?"

"Nothing," I said bluntly, turning my head to the road. I couldn't deal with talking to her, not yet.

We continued to walk through the rich district, eventually coming to a corner in the road. Cinders led me onto a metalled road, going up a small hill. The road appeared to have been constructed for the sole purpose of directing ponies to the manor, as there was not a single other house along it. She stopped us at the dead-end, pointing a hoof at the large house ahead of us.

"Here we are. 'Hoofsplit Manor'. Knock the door, tell the butler your name. Don't forget to say you have an audience with the owner."

"What do I say once I'm inside?" I asked.

"You play it calm. If he asks you anything, tell him. If he gives you anything, take it. If he offers you a job..."

"Do it?" I muttered.

"Exactly. All of us are counting on you, Crow." Cinders nodded to me, before breaking off down the hill.

I sighed, turning to see the manor in full. Working with this client seemed to always involve everyone counting on me. The manor house was colossal in size, consisting of a three-storey main building, with two side-buildings connected to it. The garden below was filled with hedge sculptures of dolphins, dragons, and ponies in elegant poses. They bordered the road leading to the dual-door entrance, the doors themselves made of a thick wood.

I walked up to the doors. I saw a lapis doorknocker on one side, shaped like a diamond. There were two others engraved beside it. I tapped the doorknocker, waiting for a response.

It was quick. I heard a regal stallion's voice from the other side, seconds later. "Yes? Who is it that attempts to enter?"

"Uh," I said, taking a moment to understand the question. "I was invited by the owner. My name is Violet."

"Violet," the voice repeated, falling silent. I waited a while, hearing some muffled background chatter. Eventually, the door inched open, with the pale blue face of a unicorn poking into view. "Your audience has been requested. Enter."

The door swung open gradually, showing me a room that was... unbelievable.

Gold upon silver, steel upon marble, the foyer was nothing short of magnificent. I'd never seen anything quite like it. Full armour plates were set up on stands, glistening beside the walls. Chandeliers hung from above, with the candles like little crystals. The sprawling dual staircase in front of me was layered with a rich purple carpet with gold trimmings. It was the sort of place I'd dream about living in.

I gave a gasp, my mouth wide open. "Wow..."

The butler appeared unfazed, levitating a ledger next to him while ringing a chime on the side of the wall. "My master will be down shortly. In the meantime, please enter the room to the right."

I continued to gawk at the interior scenery. "How can you just stand there like that? This... this is incredible."

"One gets used to it after a while," he said dully. "As I said, the room to your right. You may lay on one of the couches as you wait."

I did as told, finding myself in what appeared to be the living room. Inside, there were two long black leather couches, and in the middle of them was a table, five times the size of the one in the boarding house. The room's walls were decorated with paintings, with a large variety of fern plants underneath.

There were a couple of bookcases to the side as well, next to some smaller leather hoof-chairs; it was a remarkably well-kept room. I found myself laying on the couch closest to the foyer entrance. It was comfy, much comfier than anything I could remember, though not enough to take away the pain from my side.

We could sure use a couple of these back at home.

Waiting ensued. I examined the table a bit closer, following the dark grains through the furniture. I ran a hoof across the air, following the paths they led. I imagined the grain as a deep, dancing river, streaming off into distant lands, with myself on the boat sailing it. I'd gotten three quarters into the journey across the varnished surface when I heard somepony calling out.

"Terribly sorry. A stallion undressed is a stallion unprepared, wouldn't you say? I don't mean to be unprepared. After all," he noted, "first impressions are priceless."

* * *

The stallion sat down on the couch opposite to me.

He wore a huge dark red and gold fur coat, accompanied by a white trim around the neck. The getup practically radiated wealth. He was a gold-furred earth pony stallion, grey eyes and an identically coloured grey mane swept behind his ears at length. He spoke in the same posh Manehatten accent as the night before.

"Greetings and, uh... many apologies on my first visit. I assure you that a hooded cloak will be the last thing you'll see me in again," he chuckled. "Does my humble abode prove well for your tastes, Miss Violet?"

"It's amazing, truly. I wouldn't dare call it humble though, Mister...?" I said, baiting out a name.

"Silt, and I thank you," he said. "You may wonder why I sent for you, Miss Violet. It won't take long, I'm sure. I wanted a chat, away from that fascinating group you belong to. Before I start though, I must ask...are you fine to continue?"

"...Fine to continue?" I repeated.

"I apologise, my wording isn't what it used to be... what I mean, is are you comfortable sitting down here, talking to me? If there's any problem, do not hesitate to tell me. Hungry, thirsty, cold... anything."

I thought on his question. "There is one thing."

"Please, go on," he requested.

"It's... my right side. It's in a bit of pain."

He raised an eyebrow, and looked over my head to the foyer. "Felltree? Get our guest an extra cushion, would you?"

I heard movement behind me, as the butler clip-clopped on the marble floor in the foyer. Within moments, the butler came into the room with a pillow matching the colour of the couch. He placed it in front of me. I thanked him, positioning myself onto the pillow. It was comfier than before, but the problem wasn't gone. The pain still gnawed at me like a grizzled timberwolf.

"Better?" Mr Silt asked.

"...It'll do," I said, attempting to placate him.

The stallion's smile turned to a frown. "It'll do? Nonsense. In this household, we do not simply 'make do'. I am a gentle-stallion, and must help treat whatever ails you. Felltree? Our guest requires treatment!"

He spoke faster than I could keep up with. It wasn't a problem for the butler, who moments later placed a vial with a bright red liquid close by me, on the centre of the table. "The healing potion, sir," Felltree muttered.

"Splendid, Felltree. Please Miss Violet, drink."

The fluid within the vial looked harmless enough, but I had my doubts. The same as any sane pony when offered a potion. Mrs Goldheart always told me taking potions from strangers was never a smart idea, and the way he seemed so casual about it...

It didn't seem right. Things didn't add up. How could he have already had the potion at ready?

He must be lying. What could it be? Poison? A sleeping potion? Or even worse... a love potion?

I gulped at the prospect, my muscles shifting away from the table.

I thought he was creepy the moment I put eyes on him. I was told to accept anything by Cinders, but this is madness! My certain doom, ensured by a vial of misconception? Neigh, I won't stand for it. I'll decline! I'll-

The stallion sighed, face-hoofing at my apparent fear.

"Felltree? Please, feed the guest her healing potion. She... can't seem to do it herself."

The butler walked up from behind me. He whipped the vial off the table magically, and brought it swiftly to my lips, feeding the liquid to me against my will. The vial was emptied quickly. The butler hovered the vial back to the table. I widened my eyes as I coughed, catching my breath.

"There there, Miss Violet, let it out," Mr Silt said, as I was in mid-cough. "Apologies, but I'd rather there being no distractions before we get to business. Anything else?"

I didn't feel any different. The stallion was still sitting, shaking his head. I didn't think he looked any more attractive. In fact, I was starting to feel better. The pain in my side was ebbing away. I managed to recover from the coughing moments later,  and the pain had gone. I prodded my right side, to make sure it wasn't numb. It felt the same as it did before the hammer-wound.

Is it... healed?

I wasn't sure howan injury that could have taken weeks for a remedy by hoof and bandage could have taken a matter of seconds to heal.

"Was that... really a healing potion?" I asked.

"Of course," he laughed. "Why would I lie?"

I blushed. "Sorry... I'm just not used to taking potions from strangers."

He paused. "I... suppose there's plenty of reason to be sceptical, from your point of view. In fact, I'm rather happy that you did think before taking it, though I'd rather you simply told me beforehoof," he smirked. "Your ability to not believe my word as fact is admirable, though. How about we think of it as... a test? Proving that there's clearly more to you than meets the eye."

"I suppose we could," I replied.

He slammed a hoof on the table, making a satisfying 'clunk' as it hit. "Marvellous, we're in agreement already! Keep on like this, and I'm sure the day will simply fly by." He let out a short laugh, one that I didn't follow. "I'm, ah, joking, of course. Your decision counts as much as mine, and you have the freedom of choice to accept or deny."

"Accept or deny what?"

The stallion paused, his expression turned serious. "I suppose we should stop dilly-dawdling," he said, getting off his couch. "Follow me, please."

He signalled me with a hoof to go with him. I was led out the room living room and into the foyer, where he passed through to a hallway on the left. I followed slowly behind, my eyes to the floor as I fascinated myself with the reflected light.

* * *

Mr Silt led me on, passing the staircase and into a separate hallway. It was populated by doors on either side, with all kinds of paintings covering the blank spaces. We reached the end of one hallway and he stopped, looking at one of the doors to his side. Raising a hoof in mid-air, the stallion began to count in a whisper.

"Fifteen, Sixteen—no, that's not right. Twenty two, perhaps?" he said, and paused, and walked up to the door. The door was usual, aside from a looking glass placed high up, and out of my view. He took a peek in it, squinting. Jerking his head back from the door a second later, he chuckled. "Heh, no matter. The room is occupied. I know there's at least one that we can use, privately, though it'll be a bit of a trip."

He began to walk back the way we came. I caught up, still following him. "There's other ponies?" I asked.

"Of course. I hire all sorts to help me."

"What for?"

"Various jobs here and there. Some protect my business at home, the others protect my interests in the city. Interests that have lately  been difficult to protect. It's precisely why you, Violet, are so important. But we'll get to that later."

He led me back to the foyer, and we remade the journey down the steps. His answers were extremely vague, and I wanted to push further. I wanted to understand why he considered me so valuable.

"Mister Silt, what do you do for a living?"

He laughed. "A living, eh? Don't be shy, dear, even if 'a living' is the polite term. I'd deem my work as more of a means to indulge, than a way to 'live'."

"So, how do you earn your money?"

"Military service, of course," he said, tapping the breastplate of a suit of armour as he past by. It made a clink as he touched it. I stared at him curiously, and he smiled back. "Ha!I Of course I jest. My line of work is probably as far from the battlefield as Canterlot's Queen is to manual labour, though it's taken many paths. I started out as a cotton-weaver, y'know."

"How'd you get here, then?"

"I rose the ranks of trade, and got extremely lucky to make the wealth I do today. Now my work consists of keeping hold of that wealth. Speaking of which," he said, stopping at a metal door. He brought a key from his neck, hidden by the coat, and brought it to the door. "Welcome, to my treasury," he said, the door opened wide.

Chests among chests were sitting around the sides of the room, too many to count, and each one with a lock the size of my hoof. There were piles beside them, piles of tiny shining pieces of gold, bits, swamping the chests in an ocean of glimmer. They were locked away from touch, protected by mighty steel bars. Five chairs and a table stood in the centre of the room. They were unvarnished, undecorated, and quite dull compared to the rest of it.

He could easily buy another ten mansions with that amount of money.

"Wondrous, isn't it?" the stallion said, making his way to one of the chairs. "Take a seat, Violet."

Half-blinding myself staring at the bits, I trod over to one of the chairs and sat speechless. The room was akin to a dragon's dungeon.

He glanced at one of the chests. "Each one of these is full to the brim, you take my word."

"I-I'm sure," I muttered, blinking, trying to focus. On closing my eyes, I saw little blue circles where the bits used to be. "What do you want to talk about?"

"A proposition," Mr Silt said, his eyes firmly on me. "I've seen your work previously Violet, and I must say, I'm impressed. You see, a professional thief is rather easy to come by in Pastur, but I don't want one." He continued to look at me through his cold, grey eyes. "They're an intimidating, stupid lot, more likely to run off with your wallet than return it. You aren't like that, though. You're small, smart, agile, and when you get a contract, you finish it. I like that."

He leaned forward, placing his hooves on the table. "What do you say to some extra work? It'll be contract-based like the ones I've given you before. I must warn  you that they won't be easy, but the risk will be worth the reward."

"What do I have to do?"

Mr Silt paused for a second, a hoof to his chin. "Things similar to what you've done already, really... sneaking, unlawfully gaining entrance, stealing valuables... this all comes to mind. A small manner of self-defence may also be in order, though I'm sure if you're fast and sneaky, that won't be a problem."

I thought back to the blacksmith, and shuddered. "How much am I getting paid, again?"

He smiled. "Enough to keep you and your friends alive and well for months. I intend to spoil you if you succeed, Violet. That much is certain."

I looked back at the piles of bits. He could certainly pay, and we needed the money. I didn't like the sound of it being 'not easy'. If almost being killed was 'easy', I dared not think what the next step was.

However... we did need the money. "I don't think I can decide, right now. Could I; could I have a day to think it over, and talk to Cinders about it?"

"Of course, it's your decision. I don't want to force you, but remember," he said, raising an eyebrow, "this is your work, not hers. The work goes to you, and only you, same as the pay. You can choose what you do with it." He stood up, brushing himself of dust. " That's enough for now. There's a particular play at the Odeon I've been told is an absolute delight. If you do make up your mind, please come back, preferably today at dusk. I'll be back by then."

I jumped off my chair, and headed to the door. He followed from behind, and locked the door once we both left. I waited for him, and he led on, back to the foyer.

I was given a deal. A contract for new work, and a new opportunity. I knew what Cinders would say, but I didn't want to steal from anypony more dangerous than a common vendor anymore. The most recent contract seriously put me off.

I guessed that wasn't important. The group and the hideout should be a higher priority. Am I being selfish? I didn't know. I thought I'd probably go through with it... but I didn't like it.

Mr Silt led me to the front door, giving a bow with a "Farewell" as I left Hoofsplit House. I walked down the winding road,  onto Melody Street, without feeling the need to speed up. I passed by the mansions, and stared at them. These mansions, I thought, are nothing compared to Mister Silt's house. But one day, I'll have one just the same, with a library, and servants, and a fancy dual staircase...

* * *

I spent the trip fantasizing about my dream house. As it turned out, the house would not have a dual, but a quad staircase. The exteriors would be slides instead of steps, because it would be easier to get down, and, well, why not. There'd also be fifty servants, all stallions, and a magically re-filling buffet. Now that was a house.

Reaching the boarding house, I gave a knock.

The silvery mare opened the door. "Good afternoon Miss Violet! You've arrived just in time for lunch."

"Hey Mis'ess Goldheart. Is Cinders home?"

"I'm afraid not, dear. She and the rest of your friends have already left. Have you come back early?"

"Yeah. You don't know where they are, do you?"

The mare let out a "Hmm," skewing her mouth to one side. "I heard one of them say something about the market when they left."

"Oh! Thanks, Mis'ess Goldheart," I said, turning around.

I heard her speak behind me. "Going already? I was just ready to have my meal. I know you lot don't usually eat during the middle of the day, so I'd be happy to share if you're hungry."

It was true that we only ate one meal a day, at dinner. I'd gotten used to it though, and didn't want to intrude. I smiled at her awkwardly. "No thank you. I really need to find my friends, is all. Not that I don't appreciate the offer."

"Well okay then, dear. I don't think any of you are eating enough, though."

"Don't worry, we're fine. Goodbye!" I said abruptly, and turned away. A discussion on Mrs Goldheart's worries would take so long that her food would go cold. In a way, I was helping her.

I set out on a trot to the market plaza. I wasn't aware of what they were doing, as I wasn't really listening the night before. The marketplace rang a bell, though. It wasn't as packed as it had been before, as most ponies were at their jobs. I spotted my group easily, with Cinders and Jem leading the others, below the plaza staircase. The yellow mare was speaking quietly to the others.

"Fillies? Colts? We're gonna split into groups. Get yourselves a partner, and meet up by your team leader. We'll get started afterwards. Remember, don't be too loud. We don't want to draw attention."

I watched as the foals began to pair themselves. Walking past them, I heard a whispered conversation.

"I'm already with him. He's my partner."

"But that's sooo unfair! You had him last time."

"Yeah, well you just want him 'cause he's good. Me and Tell-Tale though, we're friends. That's what matters, right Tale?"

I walked up to Cinders. She didn't see me straight away,  her eyes on Jem as they talked to each other. I cleared my throat. Jem turned to me, and poked Cinders. She looked up, and placed a hoof to her mouth, gasping. "Crow, you're here! I-I forgot to get the doctor, sorry. I'll go get him, right now if you want."

"Doctor?" I asked, walking up.

"Uh... you know, for your side?"

The hammer wound! The ordeal with the potion, and the goodwill of Mr Silt rubbed my mind clean of it. It never crossed my mind that she'd still be looking for a doctor, and I didn't even feel angry she hadn't put it as a first priority.

I smiled at her. "No need. Mister Silt gave me a healing potion, and it's fine. No pain at all."

"He did? That's great! Those things are very rare, you know. I didn't tell you his real name either, did I?" she said, sighing. "I'm real sorry, Crow."

"Thanks. I actually have something to talk about, something he told me."

She looked at the foals, and threw a hoof up in-between us. "Just a minute.

Cinders turned to them, the foals gathered around either Jem, Yin, Parable, or herself. "Are we ready?" she whispered. The foals nodded back. "Good. You know the drill. Merge with the crowd, listen to your team leader. Whoever takes the most without getting caught, wins. I think we'll put extra points on coin purses this time. Go!"

They scurried up the stairs with their leaders trotting ahead. There were two left by Cinders, a colt and a filly. Cinders turned to them. "Sorry, guys, I'm having an important talk with Crow, here. How about you two join up with the others? Make a couple of threes."

"But I don't want them to win. I want you to win, Cinders," the filly said.

"Yeah, Feint, so do I," said Cinders, half-caring. "But sometimes you've gotta learn your opponents to beat 'em, and all."

"Awwww. If you say so, Cinders," Feint said, turning, and running up the stairs. The colt looked at the two of us, before quickly re-joining his partner.

"Figured sending 'em out for a bit of thievery wouldn't be a bad idea." Cinders said, turning to me. "Makes sure that someday they won't turn out useless. Parable's teaching them how to make 'honest' livings, but, let's face it, they aren't going to be doing that anytime soon," she said, giving half a grin. "So, what happened? He didn't speak about me, did he?"

"He gave me a proposition. I think I really need to ask you about it."

"Huh. Alright, then. What was it?"

"He wants me to work for him, doing jobs similar to my past contracts. Nopony else, just me."

Cinders gasped. "That's great, Crow. You realise how rich he is, right? Did he say how much he'd pay?"

"A lot. Enough to pay for our food for a while. That's what he said, anyway."

"Hold up. You said yeah, right?" she said, taking a step back.

"Not yet. In truth, I'm a bit scared. He said they'd be more difficult than before and, well, I almost died before..."

She stared at me, her eyes' glow evermore present. " Crow, you're better than that, You know why? Because you learn from your mistakes. He wants you for a reason, and he knows you won't let him down. Why else would he ask? Trust me," she said, placing a hoof on my shoulder, "you doing this will be the best decision you've made."

Cinders wasn't fooling around with me. She was being sincere, I knew it. I was put in a situation, my 'skill' put to the test for bits, but what else was there? My whole life up to the point was a mix of me trying my luck to make the best of a bad situation. Why stop? The reward was too good to refuse. A few jobs rather than a few hundred to make the same money? The guards would eventually catch up on us, and it was only a matter of time. I gave a sigh and straightened up. "You're right, Cinders. I'll go back at dusk, and tell him I accept."

"Great!" she said, hugging me. "He's only an' old crook, what's the worst job he can throw at you? I promise, Crow, we'll be way better off."

"If you say so."

"So... you're sure he didn't say anything about me? Not a word?"

I paused, recounting the conversation from before. "I don't think he had anything to say about you, personally."

She deflated. "That's... that's a real shame. I really thought he would've—" she paused, "no, never mind." The mare broke off, and headed up the staircase.

Cinders was being awfully careful at keeping something quiet.

* * *

The activity she ran was a smart idea. Not only did we have ten ponies working at the same time, but they actually wanted to outpace each other. Competition was an incentive anypony could get a grasp of, including me. I joined in with Jem while Cinders sat by the side, quietly observing. We weren't actually meant to take anything ourselves—the activity was meant to help the foals learn it. It wasn't the money-efficient way of doing things, but as Jem recited, "If we're involved too much, the kids'll only be along for the ride, not taking responsibility themselves."

The winning team was, much to her chagrin, almost always Parables' group throughout the afternoon. The most valuable pony being the justifiably-hyped dark-green colt, Tell-Tale. I knew he left his parents out of personal choice to live with us, but that was about it. He had some real skill at stealing, making a large portion of the bits we took home.

We travelled back to the hideout a while later. Dinner was soup again, though a few of the foals managed to take some small cakes from the bakery stall as dessert. The cakes were stale, almost tasteless. I forced myself to eat one, as they'd only get worse if they were left.

As I ate, I thought about the consequences of not taking the offer. We'd been lucky taking so much that afternoon, but it wasn't common. What about when there weren't any new stalls? We'd get recognised soon enough. They probably knew a couple of faces by now already.

After I'd eaten, it was time to set out to the manor house. The sky was getting dark, and I didn't want to keep my soon-to-be boss waiting. I began to walk to the door when Jem interrupted me. "Crow! Where'ya going?"

I turned to him. "You know that stallion I talked to you about in the market?"

"Yeah?"

"He told me to meet at Hoofsplit House, so I can get the job. It's important, so I'm really sorry, but I don't have time to tal—"

"Wait!" he shouted, startling me. "Did you say Hoofsplit house? I've heard that name before."

I paused. "What about it?"

"My Father used to know a stallion who lived there, ages ago. They used to be good friends. I can't remember the name, but he always gave a helping hoof, even sparing a couple of bits when we got down on luck. He was really great!" the young stallion shouted again, making me wince. "You don't think he's the same pony, do you?"

It certainly sounded a lot like the same pony. He gave me the potion, he gave us work... perhaps it wasn't money for free, but he still gave us the opportunity. The generosity he'd shown me was far beyond the average posh pony.

"Uh... what was your father's name, Jem?" I asked.

"Coalrock. Junior," he replied.

"I'll make sure to say to his friend that you say Hi," I grinned. He waved a hoof goodbye, and I left the room. My luck couldn't get any better.

* * *

I made my way to Mr Silt's house, the path past the mansions lit up, as always. I approached the manor before long, and walked up to the door.

"Are you trying to ruin everything?"

I heard the loud voice from inside the building, and I restrained from knocking the door. The voice continued.

"Typical. Mysterious 'omens'? You're all alike. Don't you care for the real world?"

Another voice cropped up. I could just about hear it through the doors.

"It is fact Sore-Eyes, and you relish in it. I will not be a contributor any longer."

"Leave, then. The doors are in front of you. But know that I will get what I want, Delphi."

I moved back as the doors opened. A zebra mare exited the building wearing a green coat, and a multitude of bags over it. Turning to look at me, she shook her black mane. "Pathetic."

I couldn't tell whether she was talking about me or the other pony, but she was clearly annoyed, stomping onto the road. Once she left, I turned to look in the foyer, and saw Mr Silt standing by the staircase.

He beamed at me. "Violet! Please, come in."

"Who's she?" I asked, making my way inside. I looked over the room briefly. It looked as spectacular as ever.

"Her? A former associate. A shame, really," he said, pausing to close the doors. "No matter. How are you? Have you thought about the proposition? Please, take a seat in the parlour, so we can talk." He successfully dodged the question, leaving me wordless. I followed him in, and sat down on the same couch as before. I heard the marble floor being crossed behind me, and saw that the butler, not present when the zebra left, re-stationed himself at the door.

"So Violet, what was it..." he said, tapping a hoof on the table. "Ah, the deal, yes. Have you come up with an answer?"

"I have, Mister Silt. You've made a tempting offer. I... have to accept."

"Wonderful!" the over-dressed stallion said, clapping his hooves together in applause. "You don't know how much this means, my girl."

I was eager to begin, ignoring the intrusion from the zebra before. "When do I start?"

"Straight to the point," he grinned. "Your first task will be in five days. I'll send a letter for you when it's time. While you're waiting, it would be a fine idea to get acquainted to the others you'll be working with. Please, wait a moment."

The stallion got up from his seat, and walked across the room to the foyer. I was soon alone in the room, for the second time that day. My attention was drawn to the sides of the room as I waited. The bookcases held dusty, uninteresting books, hardly anything to look at. After trying to make out a few titles from where I was sitting and failing, I looked instead at the plants on either side. They were large, and had leaves that spiralled out in all directions.

My attention was diverted by the sound of hoof-steps, and background murmuring. Turning to the foyer, I saw Mr Silt, accompanied by three others. They entered the room casually, and sat down either side by Mr Silt, their faces towards me.

The grey-eyed stallion spoke first. "Greetings, everypony! This is our new addition to the team. Violet, I'd like you to meet Shady Skies, Bastion, and Vallérose," he said, pointing to them in turn.

"Huh. I'd never thought Sore-Eyes had it in him to hire a filly. But you're proof of concept, I suppose. Welcome," Shady Skies said, a turquoise-mane grey pegasus mare wearing a dark jacket.

The orange unicorn in the middle nodded at Shady Skies. "Yes, an odd choice. But a good one, I bet." He turned to Mr Silt. "I trust your choice is right, for all of us."

"Thank you. Would you like to say anything Vallé, before we move on?"

"I welcome the filly," she said, speaking in a rarely heard accent. "Violet, you can work in a team, yes?" The only time I'd heard it before was from a male farmpony at the market, a couple of months back. "Violet?"

"Oh!" I exclaimed. "Yes, I can work in a team. Don't worry about that Miss, uh, Miss Vallé."

The imperial-purple mare gleamed at me. "Magnifique."

"So, while we're here," Bastion said facing Mr Silt, "What're the plans with Twitch, and his lot? I hear tell it won't be long before the noose."

He grinned. "Correct. Just in time for our newest member to prove herself."

I blinked. "Wait...what? I'm s-saving somepony's life?"

Shady seemed equally confused, frowning at Silt from behind. "Excuse me?"

Silt didn't notice. "All in due time, Miss Violet. We don't even know how to approach it as of yet. Until then best to get some rest, don't you think?" He nodded to the others beside him, and they stood up, dispersing into the foyer. I sat, motionless. A thought popped into my head.

"Mister Silt! Wait."

He turned around. "What, Violet? We've gone through everything we needed to, haven't we?"

"Do you know a stallion called Coalrock?"

Mr Silt paused while the others left, standing by the edge of the couch. He took a long gaze at me, before giving his answer. "No, I don't think I do."

"You, you don't? What about Jemrock?"

"Jemrock is the young stallion in your group. Is there something I should know about him?"

"Jem told me that, well... Coalrock and you were good friends."

"Your friend is mistaken," he said, shutting down my question before it even grazed the surface. He stood up along with the three he'd brought along. He started to walk off, leading the others into the foyer and out of sight. I wasn't sure what to think, whether he, or Jem was lying to me. I usually trusted Jem, but he was prone to saying some wacky stories. I took a mental note to ask Jem about it later.

It occurred to me that I'd been in a serious discussion with Mr Silt, and three seemingly important ponies. I'd participated in meetings before, but with grown mares, and stallions? Treated on the same level? It was bizarre. In any sane pony's mind, Shady Skies was right to doubt me.

Mr Silt chose me for a reason. I wanted to do the work, and I aimed to deliver.