The dawn revealed a typical morning in Anwearda. Some ponies, those that didn’t have their workplaces in their houses, walked the streets on their way to work. Even more sat by the side and begged. Announced by the squeaking of cartwheels, ponies roamed the streets, loading up bodies. Just like in Marberc, the rural population had fled the surrounding region and sought shelter in the city, and just like Marberc, Anwearda couldn’t accommodate it.

But Swift had worries of his own. Despite Wide Fare’s warning not to part with the group, he was out and about by himself. He had someone to talk to, and he planned on keeping the conversation private.

Baker Street was characterized by two-storied buildings. A lot of them housed shops on the first floor, but most of them were either boarded up or served as shelter for the destitute. The Street must have been vibrant with activity once, but now, only very few ponies, ragged and starved out, shuffled through it.

There were a few taverns, but the signboards above the entrances displayed no motifs that fit one called The Virtuous Hoofpad. Only after Swift had inspected all the buildings in the street did he notice a narrow passageway leading away from it. He passed through it and arrived in a shadowy backyard. Again, the houses and stalls were in disrepair, but one narrow building stuck out. The motif on its signboard was that of a bandit mask. Swift opened the door and stepped in.

The narrow form of the building was apparent even more so in the taproom. A counter was situated to the left, and stairs on the right led from the upper floor into the back of the room on the ground floor. For a good portion of the room, there wasn’t a lot of space along with single tables and a few heaps of straw to sit on. The few small, cloudy windows didn’t do much against the gloomy interior.

The tables were vacant, and the only present pony beside Swift was the bartender behind the counter. The earth pony stopped his rummaging for a moment and looked at Swift with his one eye, the other one hidden behind an eye patch. He spoke with a rough voice, but not unfriendly so.

“Good morning! What can i do you for?”

Swift stepped closer. “I’m here for Dibs.”

“Are you now?” the pony asked, inspecting Swift. “Important business to handle?”

“If that were the case, would it be wise to tell you about it?”

For a moment, the other one’s face was like stone. Then, he smiled. “Who knows? You never know who you can trust.” He gestured towards the door. “Dibs is out. You’re welcome to wait for him here, try out our homemade Black Bandit meanwhile, mh?”

Good thing that Swift had found the time for a spontaneous pickpocketing on his way here. “Sure.”

Swift got his drink and sat down at one of the tables in the back of the room. As he waited and sipped, a few ponies came down the stairs and occupied the other tables. Swift pondered the respectability of the clientele and how many hoped that the city watch wouldn’t look for them in the most likely of places.

About an hour passed until the front door opened, and an earth pony with a dark green coat and dark blonde mane entered. He had a bushy beard, and his cutie mark consisted of three golden bits. Swift just had to lift his jug to get his attention. The pony stopped for a moment before he resumed his way, towards Swift this time.

Swift spoke as Dibs seated himself. “You should be more careful about who you’re making business with. Some ponies can’t keep a secret.”

“Oh, like what?”

“Like where i can find you. Good thing it was me asking the question and not someone else.”

“I knew these two were no good,” Dibs said with a groan. “Doesn’t matter. I’m not planning on staying here forever anyway.”

“When are you going to leave?”

“Soon. But what are you doing here, expanding your territory?”

Typical. If Swift wanted information from Dibs, he first had to give information. “I’ve been looking for you. I have something you might be interested in.”

“You came here just because you were looking for me?” Dibs asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’m flattered.”

Swift tried to not let on anything. “Trust me; it’s worth it.”

Dibs considered it before he replied. His voice was different when he did so, cold. “Alright, where are the goods? I need to see them to know if i can use them.”

“Actually,” Swift began, turning the jug in his hooves, “i don’t have it yet, but i’ll find a way to get it.”

Dibs looked Swift in the eyes. “What exactly are we talking about?”

And so, Swift told Dibs about the orb. He didn’t leave anything out, neither details about the item itself nor events that were linked to it. Regarding the exceptional nature of the information, the price could only increase by giving it. It was a risk, though, because some fences might have refused to deal with goods this hot. Luckily, it was Dibs he was dealing with.

Dibs didn’t show any reaction during Swift’s account and waited with his response until after it was finished. “Interesting… Under the current market situation, i think i can give you,” he began, and Swift had a hard time sitting still. The orb was sure to be worth at least several hundred bits. In any case, it would be more than enough for him to live comfortably for a while.

“...ninety-five bits.”

Swift’s jaw dropped. “Ninety-five bits!?”

Several heads turned in their direction, accompanied by interested and amused looks.

Swift leaned closer to Dibs. “Ninety-five bits? Do you know how much trouble this thing caused me?”

“That doesn’t factor into the price.”

“Ninety-five bits is hardly an appropriate price either way.”

Dibs frowned slightly. “I assure you the price is appropriate, Swift. Just look around!” he said, raising his hoof vaguely. “Do you think anyone is interested in magical items nowadays? Damn, i can make more profit selling a loaf of bread than with what you’re bringing me.” He shook his head. “A businesspony has to adapt to the times.”

Swift thought it over. It made sense of course. Maybe he should just take the money and be done with it. That the orb wouldn’t be his problem anymore counted for something too.

After a pause, Swift spoke again. “So, i’ve told my story. What’s yours?”

Dibs’s jaw tightened. “I’ve hit a little snag with the local smugglers who get my wares over the border. They’ve gotten themselves nicked.”

“You don’t smuggle them yourself?”

“Not in Anwearda i don’t,” Dibs replied, shaking his head. “These guys knew this place better than me, and getting goods past the guards is no easy feat in this city. If i knew how they managed it, i’d do it myself, but at least, they were bright enough to keep it a secret.”

“So, in short: you don’t have a plan.”

“As of now.”

That only suited Swift. If Dibs wanted something that Swift had, he might be able to squeeze some extra bits out of him after all.

And that was when it hit him. “Actually, i might be of help.”

Dibs peeked over his jug.

“I happen to know a certain unicorn. For him, getting your stuff over the border is trivial.”

Dibs put down his jug. “Go on.”

“First,” Swift said, raising a hoof, “make me a better offer.”

Dibs nodded in thought, approvingly even. “One hundred bits, no more.”

“Mh, better than nothing. Okay, i’ll tell him about it as soon as i see him. The goods should be in Wrühtlant in a few hours at the latest.”

“What’s his reason for doing it?”

“His own payment: Anhorelian passes for two.”

“Ah ha, so there is a catch.”

Swift was deliberate to formulate his response as a question. “I didn’t think this might be a problem?” Dibs might have been a good negotiator, but attacking his pride almost always worked.

“No,” Dibs said, shaking his head, “not a problem. I’ve provided ponies with these passes before. You just need the right stamp and signature. You can have them in a couple of hours.”

“Thought so. There’s another thing though.”

“You’re stretching it, Swift.”

“It’s nothing big. It’s just that,” Swift began, eyeing Dibs, “when the others i’m with get wind of the part about the orb, the deal is off. It’s for your own good too. If they hear about it, i won’t be able to snatch it, and you won’t be able to get it from me.”

Dibs held Swift’s gaze, frowning in deep thought. Revealing that Swift’s agenda was at odds with that of the others was critical information, and Swift wasn’t exactly comfortable giving it, even to Dibs – no, especially to Dibs. Who knew what a smart businesspony like him could do with that information?

But Swift had to tell him in order for this deal to work out. Dibs might have appeared disinterested in the orb, but that could just as well have been an act. That magical items were not highly sought after these days could have very well been true, but Dibs had traded with rare items for as long as Swift could remember. Some part of Dibs wanted the orb. Swift was sure of it.

Finally, Dibs nodded. “Agreed.”

“Great!” Swift held his jug out to Dibs. “So, deal?”

Dibs bumped it with his own. “Deal!”

Swift emptied his drink with a gulp. “I better get going,” he said as he stood up. He was already on his way to the door when he remembered something. He turned around.

“Oh, i forgot one thing: Do your goods contain livestock?”

*

When Wide Fare heard that Swift had found a solution to their predicament, he didn’t waste any time. Minutes later, the three were on their way again, having all their gear on them. They took the most direct route to Baker Street, scurrying through alleyways and always making sure to check for unwanted company before stepping out onto the bigger streets. The Green Oyster would leave the harbor in a few hours, so there was still time. Still, Wide Fare spurred them on so as not to take longer than necessary.

The tavern had gotten fuller since Swift had left. As he scanned the room for Dibs, he saw a lot of ponies in conversation and little bags that changed hooves. Apparently, business was booming.

Swift found Dibs shaking hooves with another earth pony at a table in the back of the room. As the three made their way there, Swift felt watched. He took a look around and found several ponies glancing suspiciously in his direction. More precisely, their looks were directed at Wide Fare. The unicorn didn’t seem concerned by it however.

When they reached Dibs, Cantrip greeted him with a huge grin. “Well well, who do we have here?”

Dibs’s previous business partner was just leaving the table when he caught sight of the three. “Cantrip?” He gave Swift a questioning look. “You didn’t mention Cantrip.”

“You didn’t ask.”

Cantrip ignored Swift and sat down. “You’ve got some explaining to do. Since when are a few city walls an obstacle for the great Dibs? Also, you missed my big show. You were right; your firework stuff is amazing!”

“I can only imagine what you came up with. Glad it was of use to you,” Dibs said before he turned his attention to Wide Fare, “but you didn’t introduce your friend yet.”

Swift took over as he and Wide Fare seated themselves. “He’s the solution to your problem.”

“Wide Fare,” the unicorn said, nodding. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Dibs looked Wide Fare over as he replied. “I’m sure it is. Not many ponies in this city can provide you with what you are after.”

“Then, we are indeed lucky.”

Swift chimed in. “We should get this over with. We don’t have all day.”

Once again, all emotion left Dibs’s voice as he started to talk business. “Very well. I sent someone to the edge of the forest to the east, by the road. Their order is to wait for the goods to arrive. Once that happens, one of them will come back to the city to report. Only when i have the confirmation that my goods are in fact over the border do you get your passes.”

Wide Fare answered. “When can we expect to have them after that?”

“They’re as good as finished. All that’s missing are the names.”

“I suppose your goods are nearby?”

Dibs tilted his head towards the front door. “They’re in one of the side buildings.”

“I would like to see them.”

“I imagined you would.” Dibs stood up. “Follow me!”

The three of them left the tavern and headed towards an adjacent building. Dibs unlocked the door, and they entered a dusty old workshop of some kind. Nearby, a bunch of small crates and items, wrapped in cloth, had been placed on the ground.

Dibs pointed at the stuff. “Here it is.”

Wide Fare just gazed at it for a while. Then, his horn lit up, and the items were gone.

It took a while after they had reentered the tavern, but eventually, Swift heard the front door opening and closing behind him, and Dibs waved at someone who Swift couldn’t see to join them at their table. The messenger arrived and reported to Dibs that his goods had indeed appeared by the edge of the forest out of thin air. Dibs kept his side of the bargain – at least one half of it for now – and soon after, Swift and Cantrip held anhorelian passes with their names on them in their hooves.

Dibs addressed the group. “I think that concludes our business. If there’s anything else you’re in need of, i’ll be in the city until sundown.” His eyes shifted to Swift for a short moment.

Behind Swift, the front door opened and closed again.

Dibs went on. “For now, i have to go and check on something. It’s been a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Wide Fare.” His eyes wandered towards the door beyond Swift’s vision. His expression didn’t change, but suspicion crept into his voice. “I suggest you do not turn around.”

Suddenly, Swift was acutely aware of his surroundings.

Dibs continued. “Four unicorns, brown cloaks, swords at the sides. Sound familiar?”

Swift spoke. “Does one of them look beaten up?”

Dibs examined them a little longer. “And not at all amused.”

Wide Fare’s expression became hard. “Is there a way out on the upper floor?”

“There’s a door that leads to a balcony. It connects this building with the neighboring one. The door of the other building is locked though, and i don’t recommend jumping down with all your stuff,” Dibs said, pointing at their gear. “Plus, they might have guards posted outside.”

“Thanks,” Wide Fare said as he stood up. “And thanks for the passes.” He turned to Swift and Cantrip. “Let’s go.”

As Swift got up and faced the stairs, the mercenaries, in his peripheral vision, were already whispering amongst each other and beginning to move. A quick glance at the stairs confirmed his worries.

“They’ve noticed us. We’ll have to make a run for it if we want to make it.”

Wide Fare tensed his jaw. He opened his mouth, about to say something.

Cantrip’s shout cut him off. “Oh, come on! That’s the best disguise the city watch can come up with?”

The chatter inside the taproom died off. All eyes were on the newcomers. The unicorns didn’t move, opting instead to glare at Cantrip.

Without warning, the air was filled with the sharp sound of blades leaving their sheaths and the rustling of other weapons being drawn. Ponies everywhere armed themselves. The mercenaries rushed towards their target, but the surrounding ponies yelled and leapt up from their seats, engaging.

Swift blinked as something green rushed past him.

“In case you didn’t notice: Now’s the time to run!” Cantrip yelled as she headed for the stairs.

Swift shook off his surprise and ran after her.

When they reached the upper floor, the door at the opposite end of the hallway came into view immediately. They closed the distance, and Wide Fare opened it enough to take a peek.

“Stay here!” he ordered as he opened it all the way and stepped out onto the balcony. He glanced over the parapet, then returned.

“There are four more guards posted at the front door. They are distracted at the moment. I know a spell that allows me to soften someone’s fall, but we’ll have to go in turn.”

All three of them stepped out onto the balcony. Cantrip too peeked down, only to pull her head back shortly thereafter.

“You know, maybe Swift can unlock the door to the other building or something.”

Behind them, a batch of unicorns hurried up the stairs. They spotted the three at once and charged at them with looks that could kill. Swift slammed the door shut and pushed himself against it.

Cantrip took a deep breath. “Right!” She stepped onto the parapet with her forelegs.

A crack nearby made Swift’s ears stand upright. It sounded like...

With big eyes, Swift jerked his head to the side. There, at the joint between balcony and wall, a crack had appeared. Another noise of snapping wood, and the crack doubled in size. Cantrip was about to climb onto the parapet with her hindlegs.

Swift filled his lungs with air. “STO–”

An odd sensation rose in Swift’s stomach as his hooves lost contact with the balcony. Screaming was all he managed. Nearby, other ponies did the same, beside him and under him.

There was the sound of crashing wood. Swift landed on his legs, which gave way under the enormous impact. He rolled over, hit his head, and landed in the snow.

Everything was black.

Then, after a while – or maybe immediately – he cracked open his eyes. The ringing in his ears blocked out all outside noises. A heap of wooden rubble appeared in his blurry vision, and upon it, a green mare and a yellow stallion stirred. Under it, several ponies lay. They didn’t move.

As the ringing faded and Swift’s vision became clearer, a glint to the side of him caught his attention. Just outside of his reach, the orb lay in the snow. Out of thin air, a translucent shell had appeared, engulfing the orb. It cracked, breaking into individual parts that dissolved into nothingness before they hit the ground. Soon, the entire shell was gone.

The sight cleared every last bit of Swift’s drowsiness. He pushed himself up. On the remains of the balcony, Wide Fare helped Cantrip up. On the upper floor, the doorway now opened up into nothing but air. The unicorns were nowhere to be seen, but the sound of galloping hadn’t ceased.

No one except him was even near the orb. It was all his. He just had to take it and run. Swift reached for it.

And just like the night before, his hoof stopped just in front of it. This time, however, there was no spell. He took a look at the others once more. Both were now on their hooves, albeit shakily, and Wide Fare examined the vicinity for enemies. He was about to catch sight of Swift, whose hoof was still only centimeters away from the orb.

Swift grabbed it. He took the pouch that had landed not far away from it, stuffed the orb into it, and hung the pouch around his neck. Without another look at Wide Fare or Cantrip, he ran off.

He galloped through the passageway, onto Baker Street, and in a random direction. Every so often, he glanced over his shoulder to see whether he was being followed. When he was sure that he was safe, he reduced his speed and allowed himself a more thorough look at his surroundings.

He had left Baker Street and found himself in a more populated part of the city. In fact, uncharacteristically many ponies were out and about, almost all of them heading in one direction, the same that Swift was taking.

He had the orb. The next step was to get it to Dibs. It was doubtful that Dibs would still stay in The Virtuous Hoofpad after that little incident. At the same time, he wouldn’t leave the city early either. Dibs might have been a crook, but he was a proud crook. Going against an agreement wasn’t his style.

While there was enough room to move comfortably, the amount of ponies on the street did impair Swift’s vision a bit. He quickened his pace somewhat to get ahead of them.

I can try to disappear into the crowd. That’s something at least.

Swift passed a particularly big group. Beyond, he entered a corridor, its edges consisting of the ponies that cleared the way for the three mercenaries at the far end. Their eyes met Swift’s. One of them lowered his posture, pawing at the ground.

Swift spun around and dashed back the way he had come. The sound of galloping signified the start of the pursuit.

I can’t outrun them. Swift’s eyes darted around, searching for a way out. They rested on an alleyway. Which means i’ll have to shake them off quickly.

He altered his course. He was now heading directly for the alleyway and an abandoned cart of a salespony, which had been placed by the corner of the building past the alley. To the side of him, a pony slipped and fell on the muddy street as she gaped at the unfolding scene before her. That was the inspiration he needed.

He neared the house facades beside him and let the unicorns come closer. Then, upon reaching the alleyway, he made a sharp turn. He was already skidding, but then, he jumped. His hooves connected with the wall of the alley, and he pushed himself away from it to regain stability.

The curse behind him, which was followed by a loud rumble, was what he wanted to hear. Swift peeked over his shoulders. Only two pursuers remained.

An intersection came into view. Swift went left, into another alleyway with multiple, indented entrances into houses. Without thinking, Swift dashed to the nearest entrance, stood on his hindlegs, and pressed his back against the door as hard as he could.

A winded voice echoed from the walls. “You go left; i go right.”

The sound of galloping hooves drew near. Then, a blur of brown and gray rushed past the niche.

Swift released the air he didn’t realize he had been holding. He remained motionless.

Then, when the sound of galloping finally vanished, he leaned forwards and checked both directions for enemies. When he deemed everything clear, he left his hiding place and ran off in the one direction that the mercenaries hadn’t taken.

The street that Swift stepped out onto was busy, just like the one from before, and just like before, the majority of the ponies walked in one direction. Swift had no idea where he was, so any direction was as good as any other. He gave in to his curiosity and followed the flock.

A pair of city guards stood by the side and observed the throng. Swift maintained his course. He had not yet had a chance to gain any infamy in this city, and therefore, the guards had no reason to suspect him of anything. Still, Swift watched them from the corner of his eye. Soon after he had passed them, he risked a peek back, just to be safe.

Another pony now stood beside them, clad in a brown cloak. His foreleg was pointed at Swift as he talked to the guards. They were all now starting to move towards him.

Swift turned back around. He sighed. Picking up his pace a little bit, he passed a group of ponies in front of him that was densely packed, conveniently so. He put himself in front of the group, blocking line of sight. Then, he hightailed it.

The guards’ reaction was only slightly delayed. Shortly after, they had taken up pursuit.

After changing his course again, Swift found himself running through yet another narrow street, but somehow his situation was worse than before. At this point, he would need some sort of miracle to get out of this.

He skidded around a sharp corner, and his heart fell in his chest. Just outside of the alleyway before him, ponies blocked the exit. They weren’t concerned with him though. In fact, their rumps were turned to him, leaving him outside of their field of view.

Swift took the opportunity. With a few quick steps, he was at the edge of what turned out to be a large crowd on a plaza. He blended in and made his way through it slowly but surely.

“Hey!”

“Watch out!”

“Get in line like all the others!”

Swift craned his neck to get a view of what had brought about the gathering. A unicorn stood on a box in the middle of the plaza and gave some sort of bundles to the ponies that stepped forwards. Several big carts, each one blanketed and filled to the brim, stood behind him. Guards were posted around them in a circle, keeping everyone at a distance.

Interesting. There’s potential for escalation here.

Swift stole a glance back the way he had come. Halberds, sticking out from the crowd, now advanced through the ponies in his direction. For a fraction of a second, there was also the shimmer of polished metal… then a pair of vigilant eyes, searching for a culprit.

Swift ducked. He had lingered long enough. Turning around, he pushed onwards, a vague idea forming in his head as he headed towards the carts. The guards were on his track if the grumbling from the crowd behind him was any indication.

“Hey! Stop the thief!”

It came to the side of Swift. He turned his head just in time. An earth pony came galloping in his direction, pushing ponies out of the way and to the ground. He carried a bundle on his back. Swift dodged to the side just before the pony rushed past him. A second one followed soon after.

This was not the distraction he had in mind to help him get away. Already, one of the guards behind him shouted.

“This way, quick!”

The guards...

Swift took a look at the carts, which were now close by. The unicorns in heavy armor around them still maintained their position. They were not, however, unfazed by what was happening. For the moment, some of them directed their attention at the commotion, leaving a narrow passage that their field of view did not cover, an opportunity that Swift would not waste.

A short dash, and Swift had reached one of the carts without being noticed. He ducked under it and crawled to the back. There was no guard in front of the hatch at the back of the cart, making it simple for Swift. He emerged and, one at a time, released the locking mechanisms to the left and the right.

With a clatter, the hatch was thrown open under the enormous weight of the load pushing against it. From under the tarpaulin, bread, fruit, and vegetables spilled onto the wet cobblestone in a wide arc like a torrent.

Pandemonium resulted. Instantly, everyone was all over it, and there was no stopping them. The guards were no obstacle for Swift anymore. Instead, he had to fight the crowd, being the only one trying to get away from the pile of food. After much bumping into ponies, he had made it through the most dense portion of the crowd and allowed himself a look back. No guards or mercenaries were to be seen. It was too early to feel safe though. He kept going and, once he reached the edge of the plaza, started galloping again.

He didn’t stop until he had at least turned a few corners. The streets became more empty as the plaza fell more and more behind. Before long, Swift was almost alone. Exhausted, he sat down halfway down some narrow stairs between two tall buildings that cast dark shadows. Minutes went by, during which his heavy breathing was the only sound beside the faint noise of a loud crowd far away.

A weight around his neck made itself felt. Swift reached for it and opened the pouch. Oddly enough, he was relieved to find the orb inside. Its haze swirled around lazily, forming intricate images of beauty behind a pristine glass body. Swift just sat there and watched for a while.

The sound of quick hooves on cobblestone nearby startled him, and he looked up, blinking. At the top of the stairs, two figures stood against the light of the sky behind them. The contrast made it impossible to identify them, but one of them had a bigger physique than the other. They didn’t seem intent on coming closer.

Wide Fare’s voice echoed through the narrow passage without a trace of anger. “It’s no use, Swift. Please give us the orb back.”

Swift just kept watching them, didn’t react. When he finally averted his gaze, he gave of a quiet, humorless chuckle that filled the space between them. Wide Fare had illustrated his magical prowess enough times for Swift to know that he was cornered. There was no point in resisting.

He looked at the orb one more time. Then, he closed the pouch.

A leap up and a few steps, and a yellow light had already appeared. It flooded the alleyway around him more and more as he moved. The air behind him sizzled.

He didn’t even sense the fall anymore.

Author's Note

Please read: http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/713804/long-time-no-see