The Fast, Dangerous and the Furious

Chapter Eleven: Thieves Landing

Each time the wind went by it was like being punched in the face over and over and over again. My sweaty drenched mane didn’t help either, I wouldn’t be surprised if got stuck in one place from the wind blowing it around. So far I hadn’t seen any sign of Glider, Lucky Clover, or Vin. Not like they could have seen me back in the mountains, the snow had gotten so dense that I had to leave. I didn’t have time to wait for the others to find me, instead I galloped out of the mountains to the only other nearby town on the map, miles away from the Frozen North.

I approached a sign that was dangling from a chain that read ‘Stable Grounds,’ the only town for miles. It … was a lot better than I had imagined. Most of the buildings were old, the wood looked like it had rotted to the point a good chunk of wind could topple them down. I kept my head low, but let my eyes wandered around. Several gruff looking stallions sharpened a few knifes on a sharpening stone; they paid me no mind. I looked at another sign that read.

“Welcome to Stable Grounds, enter at your own risk.”

Just as I finished reading the sign a stallion came crashing out of a second story window. He landed in a stream of water and got back up grumbling something to himself. There was something written on the back of the sign. Yikes.

“Unwanted guests will be shot, survivors will be shot again.”

Of all the places I’ve been to this one is the worst.

Music was playing from a bar and I went in. The bar wasn’t too big, but for a town like this it was a decent size. There was an empty poker table near the window with some dice and cups lying on top of it. Next to that table was a high stakes poker game going on, unsurprisingly, one of the stallions had a full house hidden away. One of the players looked up at me, I nudged my head at the full house stallion.

“I fold!” The other’s joined in.

“Damn it!” The full house stallion threw his cards down and leaned back in his chair.

I assume that stallion isn’t very good at this game. One of the players kept a black desperado hat covering his eyes. He looked at me and smiled, he knew exactly what I had done. I went further inside before abruptly bumping into a light brown coated mare wearing an extremely old pith helmet. She looked at me and our jaws dropped. “YOU!” We both shouted at one another. The thieves sitting around us looked up then went back to their business.

The adventurous looking mare pushed her pith helmet up. “You look terrible.” She turned her head and walked over to the bar. Son of bitch, I thought I was done with you after that ordeal at that cliff.

“That’s what happens when you leave a stallion, without any weapons, to fight a small group of infected you winged asshole.” I chimed back at her lowering my voice. The mare looked at me with disbelief before stopping in her tracks.

My nameless little jerk over there hesitated a minute. It was like her brain was piecing something together. “Bull shit. There’s no way you could have gotten away from infected without a weapon.” It’s called creativity when running away. Try it some time.

“I got lucky,” I hissed. The mare smirked with a nod. We could both agree on that. “I want my weapons back or whichever ones you have on you.” She shook her head and ordered a drink from the bartender. He turned around pretending not to listen in on our conversation. Discrete was not in his vocabulary.

The mare chuckled while her eyes fell to the table. She tugged at her vest while my words registered in her head. “Excuse me?” I repeated myself, just to make sure she understood what I had said. “That’s what I thought you had said.” She took her drink from the bartender. Her free hoof went up while she slowly drank the liquor. “I sold them.  Before you ask, they’re back the way you came, so why don’t you get moving.” The bar tender cleared his throat, his hoof was on the tip jar. I ordered whatever she had. For the love of Celestia if that drink burns my throat as bad as that one drink did, ugh! I tossed some bits down on the counter as well as the tender’s tip jar.

The poker players all groaned together while the desperado player brought all of their chips over to him. He smiled, “Come on guys, hate the player, not the game. Thanks for the bits boys, but I’ve got some business to attend to.” They were all cursing his name in their minds. How did I know that? I’d be doing the same thing.

My attention went back to the mare that sold my weapons. She sold them! This day just keeps getting better and better. First the sign hitting me, then the mare and now my weapons are out of reach. I mean, the weapons she sold, not the one in my holster. “Then I want an apology.” She almost spit out what she was drinking. Her eyes starred right into mine, hers were a moderate rose color. I kind of wish I had kept that Daring Do book to make a comparison. If I had to guess they had close to if not the same eye color. Once I snapped out of my shock from how similar they looked I noticed that she noticed I was being serious.

She scoffed.

Her eyes weren’t even on me and I soon noticed why. I slowly turned my attention to the flaring tip of my horn. So much for better control. The desperado poker player put a hoof around me and little-miss-son-of-bitch. “Son, why don’t you calm down?” He nudged his head at the other thieves and I realized they were all ready to start a fight, riot probably anything that involved bashing a skull in. My horn stopped glowing. “Daring, who’s your friend here?” Daring? Her name is … holy crap. I want to see her family tree. I’m putting some bits down and calling it right now, she is related to Daring Do.

I smirked back at Daring. She gave me the coldest scowl I had ever seen in my life. My very bones felt ready to freeze. I tried to take a hoof step back fearing that she was going to punch me. The desperado poker player held me in place. Daring let out a very long sigh. “He’s not my … we’re not … I … What do you want, War?” That’s a little violent for a pony name. Then again the red scars running along his body said he wasn’t a very friendly pony at times. His mane was ash grey, but it looked good with his almost charcoal black coat.

War gave me a smile and bumped my hoof with his. His mouth got close to my ear. “Thanks for that earlier.” Daring was awestruck at how well I was being accepted by her, I assumed, friend. I could feel her ready to jump out of her seat and smack me for running into her again. “What? I can’t trot over to a bar and invite you two to play a game of Liar’s Dice with me? You used to love that game.”

“Key words, used to,” she hissed under her breath.

War’s smile turned into a slight frown, but he wasn’t giving up on us. No, his expression wasn’t one that said he gave up easily. “How about a job then.” He was offering me a job. My jaw dropped. A mission. With her.

My “Yeah, no,” came simultaneous to her, “Are you kidding?”

War chuckled and shook his head. He wasn’t kidding. Something about that look on his face made me want to walk away now, but I’m sure I’m just being paranoid here. He looked over at the table with dice and cups. My attention went back to Daring. She starred at me and wasn’t going to budge in the apologizing deal I had been trying to offer her. “I’m not apologizing.” The bartender looked at War and nickered. Even the bartender knew this was going to end badly.

War nudged his head and we followed him over to the poker table with dice on it. We each took a seat making sure to leave a space in between one another. “I’m War,” the stallion spoke charismatically before shaking my hoof. I introduced myself. “Well Runner, I have a job to do and I need two ponies to help me out.” He looked at Daring. She looked at me.

Daring pushed her pith helmet up, “War I’ll do this job with you regardless, but not with him. I can already tell he’s going to be a pain in my flank.” I could say the same thing about you.

War shook his head and sighed. I scooped up some of the dice and put them in a cup. “I don’t get it. You two don’t even know each other. Now you’re fighting?” War nickered. “Tell you what, let’s make a bet. You two against me in Liar’s Dice. If you both beat me I’ll find someone else, but if either of you lose then you keep your mouths shut and do the job.” A very sly confident smile found its way onto Daring’s face. Oh, she had played this game before and I knew that even if I didn’t have any real experience playing it that we could beat him.

Daring leaned over to me quickly explaining the rules. Once she was done she scooped up her dice and shook them in the cup. War and I did the same and brought our cups down on the table. I looked under my cup being careful to use my hoof in order to keep War from seeing what I had.

*** ***

Things had gone south, I mean, things went to the Badlands. Daring and I each had one die left to our names and War still had all six of his. I couldn’t believe this. One pony against the two of us and he’s winning by a country mile. I looked under my cup seeing five dots on my die. “There are three fives under here. It’s the truth.” It was a dead lie. Then again Daring could have a five if War called it as a bluff.

War’s ever so slight grin turned into a frown. There was hesitation. Then an understanding warm smile. “You know what that sounds about right to me.” I frowned.

“Bull shit,” was all I could say.

Daring brought her hoof to her face while letting out a long sigh. I moved my cup revealing I did indeed have one die with five dots on it. War showed me what he had. One die with five dots on it, which is all I really needed to see. Daring had five dots on her dice as well. Daring and I tossed our last die into the center of the table. Spot on bid my flank.

Daring mouthed … SUCH LANGUAGE! War pushed his hat up keeping his smile up long enough for us to grow sick of it. “Now, Daring you made a bet, you always honor a bet.” I have to honor it to. Showering Stones will have to wait for now. War got out a roll of bits and tossed them to Daring. “Since you two are going to be working together on this job, I want both of you to stay here a little while longer and get to know each other better.” Daring opened her mouth to complain, but didn’t. Her eyes locked on me and she exhaled slowly. I gave her my best sympathetic look. We both couldn’t stand being around one another, but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t try and have some fun.

“I’ve got some business to discuss with the other two stallions we’re working with,” War chimed. He tipped his hat and walked out of the bar. The look on his face said we needed to be good friends by the time he got back. Daring got up heading straight to the bar while War trotted back in. He leaned close to me and whispered, “She’s not as bad as she acts. Give her time.” Right. I don’t believe him. War gave me a shove towards the adventurous mare before galloping out.

I moved behind Daring listening to her order the largest bottle of whiskey this place had. “Bring us your strongest bottle of whiskey. Make it fast.” This was going to be a long night. Rain began pelting the windows and a clap of thunder shook the bar. She pointed her hoof at a booth that was behind a wall and almost completely out of sight. I didn’t want to make things worse between us, so I sat down. Daring sat across from me keeping her eyes locked on the table. Her pith helmet slid down over her eyes.

We both stayed silent for what felt like an hour, I looked at the clock, it had only been five minutes. The bartender left us our bottle of whiskey and two shot glasses. Daring pushed her helmet up. Her poker face was fantastic, I couldn’t even begin to make a guess at what she was thinking. She poured herself a glass before turning her full undivided attention to me. Daring took in a long deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Runner … I’m sorry … for stealing your … weapons.” She was apologizing? My jaw dropped. Her poker face weakened just enough so that I could tell she was swallowing a lot of pride to say that. If she could do it then I had to as well.

Daring drank her glass and set it down. It was my turn. I poured myself a glass and took in a long deep breath. This conversation was more than just a bit awkward for both of us. “Would you … like to … start over?” I downed my glass feeling the whiskey burn on the way down. Not going to lie, I miss the taste of a good Pegasus Breed. Daring poured herself another glass.

“I’d like that.” She tried putting on a smile, but instead downed her drink and poured herself another. Not wanting to get behind I downed another and poured myself a glass. I wonder which one of us is going to end up drunk first? At this rate, probably both of us at roughly the same time. This reminds me of a game Silver Shoe liked to play. It was called ‘Take a drink every time you take a drink,’ she won every time. “How about we tell each other something about ourselves?”

“Sure.” Best thing we’ve offered each other all day!

Daring starred at her reflection trying to figure out something to tell me. I could imagine she had a number of things to say since she looked like the type of mare to go out and explore. She took her pith helmet off while casually taking a look around the bar. You know, for some pony that acts like a jerk, she’s got a very nice eye color. “For starters, I was born in Cloudsdale. My father tried to raise me after my mother inhaled to many spores on a job and,” she broke into a choke. Shit. That must have been hard. Her eyes drifted down to her reflection in the glass. “Not long after that, reapers came in and raided the town. They took a few foals and I happened to be one of them, those bastards put a bag over my head. I remember my father was yelling something and then gunshots.” She trailed off and sat still. I hadn’t noticed it before, but there was a lot of hurt in her eyes. I wonder if everyone in Equestria have such messed up lives.

It took ten minutes before Daring snapped out of her trance. I kept quiet and let her coupe with what she was feeling. “The reapers brought me out of Cloudsdale and we’re killed by some clown not even a minute after landing. All the foals ran for it and since then I’ve lived my life here, there, wherever. Went back to Cloudsdale and got a job, but it wasn’t for me.” Daring drowned her sorrows with her whiskey and poured another glass. “Then I jumped from crew to crew for several years, then I stole your weapons. Funny how life works out.” A born adventurer that’s also a highly skilled thief. Alright, I had her wrong, she isn’t a jerk. And now she’s even more attractive to me. Leave her be Runner, she’s still trouble.

Her eyes starred into mine, trying to see what I had seen. I took a drink and did my best to pick a place to start from. To be fair, I really didn’t want to remember being in that District. The more I thought about it the more I just wanted to forget I ever came from there. “There’s not much to tell. I grew up in District Twelve, my father died in a glider accident and a few years after meeting my best friend, Silver Shoe, we started taking things from the cops. Corrupt bunch.” Daring nodded. “Ponies weren’t treated right at all, so we left.”

I finished my drink. The liquor burned my throat while I dug deeper holes to suppress those memories. Daring poured me another glass and we sat in silence again. I think we were both trying to burry things from our past. She cleared her throat, “So where’s Silver Shoe now?” My heart rate started picking up. My eyes watered. I did the first thing I could think of. I levitated the bottle over, attempting to drink the entire thing. Daring got up and took the bottle from me. Her eyes went from me to the bottle then back to me. She nodded slowly. “You can’t drink your problems away, believe me, I’ve tried.” Daring put the whiskey bottle down before letting me finish my glass. She changed the subject, “Any goals?” I nodded.

“I just want to find some place I can call home.”

Daring nodded. “I want to,” her voice lowered, “rip off a casino.” Silver Shoe went to the back of my mind. I starred at Daring trying to figure out how she could possibly steal from a casino. “I love to gamble.” I chuckled. That’s a crazy goal.  Daring leaned back and looked out at the other thieves. “If Equestria ever got back on its hooves and there weren’t any more infected to worry about. I think I’d like to explore every part of it.” I like that goal a lot more. It sounds a lot more fun than trying to steal from a corrupt casino owner though. By the time I looked back at the clock again an hour had already past. Our moments in silence had been a lot longer than I thought. I rubbed my eyes.

“Think we’ve shared enough for one day,” I lowered my voice. Daring nodded somberly.

We both sat in silence for another couple of minutes. Every so often we’d pour another glass of whiskey, up until the bottle was completely empty. My vision started to blur and the last shred of actual thought going through me was to find a place to sleep. Daring looked at a pony approaching us. I felt a hoof around my shoulder. “You two seem to be getting along quite nicely now.” War pulled me up and tipped his hat to Daring. She waved a hoof at him and I was pushed forward.

War escorted me outside and a pink shield formed over us while rain continued to pelt the ground around us. A sheet of rain managed to slap my face. “I told you she wasn’t that bad.” I looked at him and shook my head. Sleep is what I craved right now. “Come on, I’ve got a place for you to stay, we’ve got a big day tomorrow.” I nodded and followed War to a small housing room. He pointed to some stairs and I went up to the room. There was only one room on the second floor so I couldn’t drunkenly walk into the one that wasn’t mine. I nudged the door open and locked it behind me. My body fell on the bed.

The mare sure loves to drink! My head collapsed on a pillow. There was a knock at the door.

I got up and unlocked the door. It was War. “Listen, be careful around Daring. She’s been through a lot.” Yeah, no shit. I thought I had it rough. From what he was telling me I could easily assume I’d be working with her a lot more. Fantastic. War kept talking, but my brain had finally shut off. I just smiled and nodded. Once he left, I closed the door and collapsed back on my bed.