Grey Times

The door loudly hissed as I entered the bar.

The constant chatter suddenly stopped as everypony's gaze fell upon me. Some surprised, others seemed glad of my arrival. Shruging their gazes I strode from the door, passing between the numerous bar tables with Rose following suite, striding in a fish out'a watter fashion. I recognized most of the faces in the bar, old friends, contractors, mercenaries from the Dagger guild. The bar counter grew larger more and more as I passed by more tables. Ponies turning their heads away from me as I passed, whispers, unleashed like wild beasts, were danceding behind me.
Finally, I reached the bar made of , wooden planks covered by alcoholic stains and dried splashes.

I sat down on one of the stools, Rose, after figuring out the gymnastics of getting on to something your height, sat next to me. I rested my hooves upon the counter, and took a deep breath. “Bartender!” I called out.

“Right up!” A female voice called back from behind a door near the bar. “What is it…” The voice's owner staggered, a brownish coated elderly earth pony stood in a redish smock with the dagger guilds logo on it. After a brief moment of silence a warm smile formed on her face. “well, well, well" She took a few steps, now starring straight into my eyes standing right in front of me. "Now tell me, am I going psychic or is there a ghost sitting at my bar" She said with a sarcastic undertone.

“Leave. It. Be. Cider.”

“Nope, I wanna know what did you do to piss your mare off so much that she declared you officialy dead" She stated. Heart beat later she was at the nearest cider barrel pouring a drink. “This one’s on the guild" She said and placed a wodden mug with so much force it cider poured out onto the counter. "if you tell me what you did” she declared heartbeat befor I've taken the mug.

“Well, it’s quiet straight. I was on a mission, got gravely wounded and left behind. Miraculously I sutvived and now I'm here.” I said and took the mug of cider back, from her hoof.

“We both know that's a lie, otherwise, you wouldn’t come here in the first place Crimson. You did something, and don’t want to come back." She said and frowned like she was challenging me. "But who cares! What is important is that you’re back and willing to do your job again, am’ I right?” She winked at me.

“Yes you are, but there's a slight problem. Equipment” I said while pointing at the fact I was only wearing a dirty trench coat.

“Sure, you can get the starter pack for free.” She said with a devilish smile.

“Yeah thanks, and don’t get your hopes up too much. I’m not going to wear that jacket.”

“Oh come’ on! You were so proud of it years ago.” She said and pulled out a black leather Jacket with words: ‘I will stab you like a dagger, ‘cause daggers RULE!’

“Yeah was, now I’m just ashamed granny” I said putting an emphasis on ‘granny’
Rose quietly laughed at the jacket in the background.

“I’m not that old yet.” She said and put a pistol, knife and some pouches strapped to a harness on the bar counter. “And who are you now?” Cider turned the question towards Rose

“I’m Crimson’s friend” Rose answered.

"Oh mind my manners!" The golden maned bartender spat out in a commedic voice "M' name's Cider tap, best bartender this side of Bright town! Now, can ah' know the name of Crimson's new Marefriend." She stated while emphasising the term 'marefriend'.

“Buck off Cider, She’ll help me with the work!” I lashed out in childish rage.

“If that’s what you say…” She said and smiled to her self.
“There’s a client back there, balck tuexudo, red tie. He's sitting in the second row, fourth table, surely desperate after sitting here for the fifth hour, five days in a row. Get dressed.” She informed me with a voice cool as wind, her mug polishing routine so perfect she does it without even landing an eye.

I took the equipment and went to the changing room. Minutes later I was out, with a harness uderneath my trench coat and equipement where it belonged.
I sat at the said table where a single gentlecolt was sitting. His gaze immidiaetly fell upon me as I sat down, his eyes trying to drill into my soul, a face of a true governement official.

“I reckon you’re looking for a mercenary" I said and leaned back on my chair.

“Possibly, depends on how good you are" gentlecolt stated without doing as much as to blink.

I've sent a knife flying up to his throat in response “I’m the one who’s time is wasted here, don’t forget that”

“A hybrid" he said and calmly pushed my knife to the side with his hoove. “Reckless, but you might be useful, an important official is looking for additional bodyguards. You want the job?”

I floated the knife back to its scabbard and pressed down on the table.

“Maybe. Let’s talk about the payment” I said and unclipped the holster cover.

“there is no talk, you take five hundred greyins upfront and then a thousand after the job.” He said impatiently.

“seems fine, but you’ll have to give us double the price” I said and nodded towards Rose who stood in a marble grey trench coat behind me.

“if there are two of you then each will get two hundred and fifty upfront and five hundred after” he said without nating an eye at Rose.

“It’s either half grand upfront or nothing” I said pointing down at the table

“I already told you what the pay is” he stated in an aggresive tone.

“If you say so" I stood up from the table. “I’m sure you just came here and will find lots of mercenaries willing to take the job” I said and took a few steps from the table.

I was allmost two tables away when the stallion called out.

“Maybe we can get to an agreement!” I stopped dead in my tracks.

“ 'Guessed you were tired of waiting” I chuckled to myself. “Let’s settle the deal then"

I sat back in the chair.

“a thousand upfront and two thousands after the job" I said and took out an empty coin pouch.

“maximum I can spend is seven hundred upfront and one thousand after the job, per one of course" He replied dead cold, starring me straight in the eyes.

“Then you’ve got yourself a duo of mercenaries my friend! You won’t regret it!" I replied imitating a voice of a slave trader.

“Tomorrow, at that place, get all the gear with you, we’ll be moving out at eight a.m.” He said and placed a sheet of paper on the table. Moments later he took out a fat stack of coin and poured it into the pouch. Seconds later he was already leaving when a clicking sound of a primed musket reahed his ears

“Stop right there” I said pointing my gun at him. “Where’s the payment for her?” I said and waved the gun in a look-at-her gesture.

After that, the gentlecolt took out a pouch filled with greyins and threw it at Rose. Rose caught it in red magical mist as the pouch floated into the pocket of unicorn's trenchcoat. I slid the gun back in its holster and the gentlecolt left.

I went back to the bar and threw our pounches on the counter “ Get me and Rose some armor, and a rifle for me”.

“Armor I might get ‘ya but not the rifle. Sorry Crimson but law is law, You have to get one yourself.” Cider answered with a slight sigh.

“Oh come on, a little bit of help for an old friend?” I begged.

“Crimson, rules of the guild can not be broken, you know that, also It wouldn't be fair for your friend here.” She said and pointed a hoof at Rose.

“Fine, just drop us those armors at that address” I said and scribbled the address of the place we stayed with Rose at.”See you soon Cider!”

“Don’t die Crimson!” She said back.

I left the guild bar into the raining street and turned left. Once Rose came out of the bar We begun going down the street. The rain slowly soaked in our coats, it was a cold and warm feeling at the same time.

“Where do you know her from?” Rose asked.

“An old friend of mine. She introduced me into the guild and helped me multiple times.” I answered.

“makes sense but, why did she say that you were dead” She asked clearely interestedin the topic.

“Just a joke between us two, nothing too big.” I lied.

“If that’s what you say…” She said with a big dose of scepticism in her voice.”So where are we going now?”

“to our hotel, I asked Cider to drop our armors there, also we have to get some sleep before tomorrow" I said.

Tomorrow…

I woke up around five a.m. . I picked up our armors, checked the weapons and bought whatever we needed in the Gunmarket with what we've had left.

Around seven a.m. Rose woke up. We ate at the hotel cafeteria and left for the contract. I took out the paper that was meant to have the address on it and, to my surprise, saw it was the contract itself.

It didn’t explain much but it did tell us where we were heading.

We were meeting up with a team of other mercenaries at the train station and were headed to Griffonstone. Our objective was to protect the governor of The Grifoni county.