Making choices

Sharp Witt stared at the wall clock. The work day was almost over, and nopony had crossed the doorstep today. Just the same as yesterday. The day before that as well. Actually, almost every day since he came here.

' I should have known the country wouldn't need detectives. ' the stallion thought and took a sip of the cup of coffee, that stood on his desk.

In Mouthguard, Streamcross or any big town at all the big wooden desk, that spread from one end of the room to the other, would have already been covered by mountains of paperwork, the stallion would have already run out of pens and the evidence closet would be overflowing with small bags, full of hair, paper, handkerchiefs and other kinds of evidence. In Graywood, however, the desk was as bare as the Ashlands surrounding Smith's Keep. Not even one document caught the detective's eye as he studied the whole room with his eyes for what was perhaps the billionth times. The wall clock was the only thing breaking the silence in the empty room.

The detective's cabinet still smelled of floor polish. After all, it was freshly established- just a week ago. There wasn't a plenty of furniture- only the chairs in the waiting room (Sharp Witt had to pay double to get a two- room house. Apparently, that was considered a luxury in the country), another chair in front of the big desk, the desk itself and a rocking chair (the mayor stated it is a symbol of respect) for the private detective. He sighed and leaned back, laying his head on the ledge of the window behind him.

The cabinet was smaller than the waiting room and for somepony claustrophobic it would have been quite the discontent to work in it. Luckily, the earth pony wasn't that kind of ponies. It would have been unwise of him to become a detective, if he had any fears, that could hinder him in investigating.

The dark grey stallion leaned back forward and put his forehooves on the top of his head, which he lay on the desk, as a sign of his extreme boredom.

Back in the capital, he was highly praised. Ever since he was a foal, he had tried to uncover mysteries, earning him his magnifying glass cutie mark. His chestnut mane and tail and his dark grey coat allowed him to blend with the shadows and be extremely good at pursues. Hay, he could even evade the flashlight- spell wielding unicorn guards, if he wanted to. He had completed many cases, ones, that seemed impossible to many as well. Even though he was one of the best, he had started to get annoyed from what he did. Mouthguard remained the same, and all the cases were alike. He wanted something new. At that time, he heard of the great cases, that lied unsolved to the West, and decided to move to the village they all ended - Graywood. He hit the road, leaving Mouthguard behind. When he arrived here, it turned out all the " great cases " the newspapers spoke about were either a case 10 year old presented as something new or make- believe. Even so, he decided, that the countryside was underestimated and decided to set up a cabinet in the small village. Over the course of a whole week, which usually ment three serious cases and a dozen of smaller ones back in Mouthguard, the only request he got was from a group of foals. It was to find their lost dog, and his reward wasn't going to be more than 2 or 3 bits. However, before he even got out of the cabinet, the mother of one of those foals arrived. With the lost dog.

Sharp Witt had started to regret he didn't bring any books with him from the capital. He'd at least have something to do. This village didn't even have a library.

' Perhaps I should get back. Nothing to do around here. ' the stallion thought just as somepony knocked on the door.

The surprised earth pony immeadietly raised its head. It jumped over the desk, made two steps and was soon in front of the screen door, that separated the waiting room and the cabinet. The stallion grinned and opened the door.

The customer surely was mysterious. It was higher than anypony he'd ever seen. It was wearing a big white cloak with a long hood, that hung almost to the end of the hooves of the visitor, making him or her look like a ghost. Two holes were cut in the cloak on the back and two big white wings stuck out folded. A big bump was visible near the forehead, or where Sharp Witt supposed the forehead was. There was also another hole in the cloak, on the hood, where the eyes were, and it was sewn back with veil material, so the eyes were visible. The irises were violet, almost purple. From what the detective could see from the pony, which wasn't much, he deduced, that this was one of the strange ponies, that arrived in the village the day before. There hadn't been any reaction to them, even though ponies were as puzzled as he was, since Graywood ponies, ever since the Rebellion got smitten, were afraid of the strange things. As his neighbour had said the detective, they were going to leave them alone for three days, and if they didn't get away, call the guards from Smith's Keep. Town ponies didn't want to have anything, that could link them to potential threats to Blade Waltz, the king. Graywood had already paid the price for supporting such ponies.

Sharp Witt had observed the group with his binoculars, and it was in deed the strangest thing he'd ever seen. Firstly, the group was too big. Nopony would form such a big group, since they risked multiple checks by the guards in the different towns. Blade Waltz was always suspecting somepony would try to take the throne from him, just the same way he'd taken it.

Secondly, its members were... bizzarre. He had taken notes in his small notebook, which was lying on the chair, designated for customers. The cloaked pony picked it up with a yellow magical oreol and placed it on the desk, leaving the notes Sharp Witt had written down the day before visible. The detective took a peek at them. They described each member of this group with a few words:

Orange earth pony, mare

Pink earth pony, mare

White unicorn, mare

Cyan pegasus, mare

Yellow pegasus, mare

Black pegasus, stallion

In the beggining of the list the group seemed pretty normal, but Sharp Witt had left the weird ponies for the end.

Pegasus, made out of... fire? Stallion

Pegasus, made out of ... water? Stallion

Pegasus, made out of... water again? Stallion.

Pegasus, made out of clouds. Stallion

Pegasus, made out of stones. Stallion

Winged unicorn?! Normal of size, purple of colour, mare

Winged unicorn. Greater height, dark blue of colour, strange waving blue mane, mare

Winged unicorn. Even greater height, black of colour, strange waving dark violet mane, blending with the air. Stallion

Winged unicorn. Same size as winged unicorn #3, white of colour, strange waving multicoloured mane, mare

Dragon. Supposedly infant. Purple of colour. Male.

Dragon. Adult. Twice the size of a normal dragon. Black of colour. Male

" I see you have noticed the arrival of our group and even taken notes. " the voice made it clear to Sharp Witt his visitor was a mare. That was the last thing he needed to be sure this was the mare he had marked as winged unicorn #4.

" Well, pardon me, miss... " the earth pony glared at his customer, awaiting her to present herself. Instead she just shook her head under the hood and told him:

" I shall remain anonymous. "

" Alright than, Ms. Anonymous. Pardon me, but I couldn't help my detective instinct, when I saw such an unusual group as yours. "

" It doesn't really matter. " the winged unicorn chuckled.

" It is normal to be alert in cases like this. I would have been too, if such a group came near my home. I assure you, my group won't do any harm to your village. In fact, we're leaving tommorrow. "

" I'm not from this village. I moved in in the beggining of this week... and I'm probably moving out in its end. Detective business isn't exactly flourishing around here. " the detective looked through the window to see wheter somepony was watching them. He didn't want to attract too much attention, and his clients were always promised discretion. As he saw there was nopony out there, he shut the blinds and turned around to ask the cloaked mare about the task she probably had for him.

" Most convenient. " the winged unicorn spoke first. The stallion quickly realised she was speaking about him moving out. Befuddled, he asked:

" How so? "

" I have a task for you... one, that requires a long journey. Don't worry, you will be well paid. " she brought out a medium sized purse from beneath the cloak and let it fall on the table. A part of its contents flowed out and Sharp Witt was now sure of them. Golden bits.

" I suggest it is a rather hard task you want to entrust me with, after the reward is so big. " his comment was met with a giggle.

" That is merely the reward for the first part of the task. " the mare replied.

" What task is this, that requires such a payment for only a part of the whole job? " the detective was starting to become suspicious.

" Investigation and signalisation. "

The stallion raised his eyebrow at that response, so the winged unicorn had to explain in details:

" My group is about to set on a dangerous quests. I am aware the roads are far from perfect, and the size of our group is also a problem. Tommorrow morning we'll head for Smith's Keep. You will leave at midnight and take the same road. If you find any robbers' hideout, you will find a good signalisation point and signal us when we approach. You will do the same if you stumble upon soldiers. If the soldiers move in direction Graywood, you will get ahead of them without getting noticed and signal us when you see us coming. In those cases you will stay as far as possible from the group. This will limit the chance for soldiers or bandits further down the road to find out about your task and prevent you from completing it. If there are no threats, or after you signal us for them, you will wait for me in the " Lucky Miner " inn in Smith's Keep, in a room, reserved for Ms. Glittering Star, paid for in advance. There you will receive your reward for the completed task. "

The mare said nothing more. She picked up the purse, put it back in the saddlebags she probably had under the cloak and left the room, leaving the detective pony confused. For a moment he thought her an agent of the Rebellion and thought to give her and her grouo over to the soldiers. But as he remembered of the pursse, full of gold, he thought:

' Even if that's the case, you don't turn down that much gold for a motherland, whose ruler does nothing but boss you around. Gold is the king of this country, the steel is simply its knight. '

The stallion took a final look at the poorley decorated room. Than he grinned.

' I'm back in business. '