//------------------------------//
// Ch 2: The Water Trough Tavern 
// Story: The Legends of Lore 
// by ChaosDragon 
//------------------------------//

The Water Trough tavern lay in the shadows of a large yew tree growing on the edge of town. The tree's spreading branches cloaked it in perpetual shade even on the brightest days, which was perfectly fine with the usual patrons, who didn't think much of walking in the light anyway. The tavern had always been a rather rough place, but over the last few years it had become infamous as a den of crooks, thugs, and generally every other sort of unsavory character you might wish to never meet. This, of course, made it their favorite place to gather and drink the night away.

It was almost midnight, and most of the street lamps had already been put out, leaving the town cloaked in the black of night. Lore Seeker and Lucky Roll slowly made their way down the dark street, their eyes fixed on the tavern as they drew closer. Over the years, the structure had slowly taken on the appearance of its patrons. The paint had begun to peel in places, and the off-white color had dulled and dirtied over time, taking on an unhealthy pale hue, as if the building itself were sick. The roof was missing several shingles, and the eaves had begun to sag slightly in a frown around the entrance. Two shutters on the second floor lay open, spilling dim, flickering light out of the sagging windows and into the dark. The faint light did very little against the night however, and even the building itself was left as nothing more than a vague, black structure beneath the yew tree.

"This place is kinda creepy..." Lucky Roll shivered slightly as he stared at the two flickering points of light emanating from the darkness beneath the tree. "It's like some angry demon is watching us."

Lore immediately stopped and looked at his friend in bewildered consternation. "Why would you say that now of all times?! This is already nerve wracking enough as it is, and now you go and put that image in my head?! What the hay, Lucky?!"

"It was just an observation..." Lucky remarked before turning to grin at Lore. "Besides, I love messing with your head."

"You're evil, you know that?" Lore knew his friend was just trying to lighten the mood, and after suppressing the sudden urge to smack him, he joined Lucky in his lighthearted banter. "If we get out of this in one piece, remind me to take away your Hearth's Warming Eve bonus."

"I get a bonus?!" Lucky said in surprise.

Lore scoffed and continued heading toward the tavern. "Not anymore you don't!"

"Awwwww..." Lucky hung his head in mock disappointment for a few moments before trotting off after Lore. "What about a birthday bonus?"

"No."

"Fall harvest bonus?"

"No."

"Summer solstice bonus?"

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" Lore said with a sigh.

Lucky grinned at his defeated companion as he trilled a mocking reply. "Nope~"

A few blocks later, the pair came to a halt at the edge of town. Due to the many brawls, and general rowdy behavior of the Water Trough Tavern's patrons, the building was set slightly apart from the rest of the town, leaving a good bit of open ground around it. It was a good place for a brawl that got too rowdy, or an ambush. Keeping to the shadows, they watched the tavern warily, looking for anything amiss. Nothing moved between them and the tavern. The only sounds they heard were the distant noises of merriment, and the occasional shattering of glass that drifted across the distance to them.

"Here, put this in your bag," Lore said as he dug a sack of bits out and gave it to Lucky Roll.

"But don't you need it for the exchange?" Lucky asked in puzzlement.

Smirking, Lore winked at his friend. "Come on, Lucky, you know me better than that. You said it yourself, I can smell a trap a mile away." He turned back to watching the tavern as he continued. "And this is almost certainly a trap. That's why I gave you half of the payment. They won't be able to take the money and run if I only have half of it on me. Their own greed will make them see the transaction through at that point. It will also give me something to bargain with if things go south."

"But if you don't have it, they'll just take it off me."

Lore turned back to Lucky and put a hoof on his friend's shoulder, his voice suddenly even more serious than before. "Lucky, you aren't coming. You have to stay here. They told me to come alone, remember?"

"Which is exactly why I'm coming with you!" Lucky said with righteous indignation, "I didn't come all the way out here to just stand around in the dark while you go in by yourself!"

"Lucky, listen to me! You have to stay out here. The promise of the other half of the payment may be the only thing that keeps them from just taking the money, or worse. Promise me you won't follow me inside." Lore smiled at his friend and gave his shoulder a pat. "Besides, you're my backup plan! If something happens to me and they get away, I'll be counting on you to stop them."

After much grumbling, Lucky crossed his arms and flopped down on the ground in a huff. "Fine... But if you get yourself killed, I'm keeping the bits."

Lore chuckled softly and waved a hoof over his shoulder as he headed off toward the tavern. "Well, that goes without saying. We'll call it your severance package."

Eyes scanning the night around him for signs of movement, Lore silently crossed the remaining distance to the tavern. As he stepped onto the wooden porch, one of the old boards gave a loud creak of protest. The unicorn let out a strangled squeak and flew a good two feet in the air as he practically jumped out of his skin. He came down on the porch with a thump, his legs splayed out around him and a furious blush spreading across his face. Lore hastily scrambled to his feet, silently cursing himself for getting all worked up and nervous before he'd even entered the building. He took some solace in the knowledge that at least nobody had been around to see his embarrassing display.

Sitting against the wall where Lore had left him, Lucky Roll waited for his friend to enter the tavern before getting to his hooves. Unable to suppress a grin at Lore's little freak out, the stallion chuckled and shook his head. "Behold! Our fearless leader!" Lucky simply couldn't contain it anymore. He broke down in a fit of barely suppressed laughter that came out as a collection of snickers and giggles. After a few minutes, he was finally able to compose himself once more. "That was great, but I should really get going." He wiped away a mirthful tear from his eye and smiled to himself as he trotted off toward the tavern. "'Stay here' he says. It's like he doesn't know me at all! No way I'm going to just sit here while he has all the fun!"


* * *


The interior of the tavern was just how Lore had pictured it. The main room was a large, dimly lit area, with a high ceiling that was easily twenty feet overhead. A small staircase led up the left side of the room to a mezzanine that ran along the back wall. It hung over a good third of the tavern, and many of the more 'secretive' patrons were seated beneath it as they nursed mugs of ale. Along the back wall, beneath the mezzanine, rows of colored bottles stood in a line behind a solid oak bar. A large, stern-looking mare kept watch over the tavern from behind the bar. As she served drinks, she would occasionally shout orders through a swinging door to her right, which (Lore presumed) led into the kitchens. 

Lore scanned the room from the doorway, searching for the cloaked figure he had been told would be waiting for him. There was just one problem. At least half the ponies in the tavern were wearing hooded cloaks! He supposed he probably should have expected something like this though, given the tavern's usual clientele. He would just have to figure it out on his own, or wait for some sort of signal. Slowly making his way into the tavern, Lore watched the various cloaked figures, searching for something that would tell him who he was to meet. As he reached the middle of the room, something caught his attention. About thirty feet away, at a table half covered by the shadow of the mezzanine above, sat a lone hooded figure. Unlike those around him, this pony wasn't drinking. In fact, he seemed to be ignoring his mug of ale altogether. From his shadowy seat, the cloaked figure watched Lore with an interest that went beyond mere curiosity. Their eyes met, and the hooded figure gave him an almost imperceptible nod. He'd found his mysterious cloaked contact.

Cautiously making his way to the table, Lore took a seat opposite the cloaked pony. Eyeing the hooded pony, Lore cleared his throat and began to speak warily. "I seem to have... 'lost' something. Perhaps you know where I might find it?"

The hooded pony leaned forward and smirked, his chair creaking softly as he steepled his hooves on the table. "Perhaps... It depends on what exactly you've lost."

"It's a small item, but one of considerable age. I would be... most relieved to find it."

Shrugging, the hooded figure sighed. "I may know of what you speak, and I would love to help you. But alas, I am terrible with directions... Perhaps a 'map' would do?"

At the mention of a map, all doubts Lore had about this being the right person vanished. This was definitely the right person. It had to be! With considerable effort, Lore reigned in his excitement and continued their little 'game'. "Yes, a map would be perfect."

"Unfortunately, my maps are a little expensive. Three hundred bits, to be precise."

"That is indeed quite expensive. Would you accept half now, and the other half when you've given me the map? Just as a precaution, you understand. It is a lot of money," Lore said as he silently prayed the other pony was feeling reasonable.

The hooded pony glared at Lore for what seemed like an eternity before speaking again. "That would be... acceptable."

Sighing with relief, Lore opened his pack and drew forth the bag of bits, placing it on the table with a faint clink. "Then we have an agreement?"

Reaching forward a dark cyan hoof, the cloaked pony drew the bag closer and peered inside. A satisfied smile crossed his lips before he quickly closed the bag again and made it disappear beneath his cloak. "It seems we do." Extending the same hoof from beneath the cloak once more, he placed an ancient looking scroll on the table. "A pleasure to be of... 'assistance'."

Lore was completely enthralled by the battered scroll. He knew immediately it was the real thing. He had spent far too much time around dusty old tomes to be tricked by a simple forgery. No forger could fake thousands of years of ageing. Not well enough to fool him anyway. No, it was real, of that there was no doubt. The one thing that could possibly validate his life's work was finally within his reach! Licking his lips, Lore shakily reached for the map. Just as he was about to pick it up, a shadow passed over the table. Lore stopped reflexively and was about to look up, when suddenly a loud cry tore through the hushed conversations of the tavern.

"COWABUNGAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~!!"

With several grunts and a resounding crash, something big landed just a few feet behind Lore. Whipping around, Lore was surprised to find three earth ponies in a large pile. One of them, a white earth pony with a parted black mane, was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses and had a coil of rope held in his mouth. Another, a tan earth pony sporting a five o'clock shadow, was wearing a red neckerchief and a black fedora. He was carrying a large sack clutched in one hoof. The last, sprawled atop the two very rough, very large, and very unconscious stallions, was a very excited Lucky Roll, looking particularly pleased with himself.

"That was awesome! KO'd them both in one go! Who's ready for round two?" Lucky Roll said as he picked himself up and looked around.

Lore stared at him in open-mouthed shock. He had known Lucky wouldn't stay put forever, but he'd thought he would get at least an hour before his friend came barging in. He certainly hadn't expected the earth pony to come crashing down from... wherever it was he had come from. "Wha...  But... Lucky?..." Lore stammered for a moment before regaining his composure. "What the hay, Lucky?! What are you doing here?! You were supposed to wait outside!"

"Oh, you know. I got bored, so I thought I'd drop in." Lucky said with a big grin on his face as he brushed himself off. "Good thing I did, too. These two muscle-heads were about to grab you. Luckily, I had your back, and was watching the whole thing from up on the mezzanine." He pointed an accusing hoof at the cloaked pony across the table, who had just come out of his shocked stupor. "The second this guy put the scroll on the table, those two got up and started going right for you. They were probably planning on knocking you out and taking the money and the scroll." With a triumphant smirk spread across his face, Lucky looked at his flabbergasted friend. "Sooooo, about that bonus?"

Lore suddenly caught a bit of movement out of the corner of his eye. The hooded pony was slowly shifting in his seat, trying not to be noticed, but what could he... the map! Whirling around, Lore dove for the ancient scroll. The cloaked pony cursed and made a desperate grab for it, but he was too slow; all his hoof found was empty space. Gesturing for Lucky to get away, Lore stuffed the map into his pack and backed away from the table as he tried to defuse the situation. "Look, there's no need for this. I have the other half of your payment right here. Why don't we just settle up and go our separate ways? No harm, no foul."

Throwing back his hood, the dark cyan earth pony revealed a slick-backed mane of flaming orange hair, and a scar over his left eye that crinkled in a most unsettling way as he smirked. "Now see, why would I do that, when I could just get rid of you and take the money and the map for myself? I may not understand what it is, but it's obviously valuable. I'm sure someone, somewhere, would be willing to pay a pretty bit for it." He began to follow the pair now as they backed toward the exit. "Tell you what, if you hand over the money and the map now, I'll considering letting you live. If not..." The stallion trailed off as he pulled a long, sharp knife from beneath the folds of his cloak, gripping it firmly in his mouth.

Lucky Roll's eyes went wide as the stallion drew the deadly-looking knife. "Oh shit!" Looking for help, his eyes darted frantically around the room; but it was to no avail. The moment Lucky had come crashing down from the mezzanine, all the patrons in the tavern had scattered like roaches, suddenly finding it a very good idea to be somewhere else. It looked like they were on their own.

"Run for it!" Lore said as he spun around and started shoving Lucky toward the door, "Go, go, go!"

Lucky needed little encouragement though, and was already moving. "Time to bail!"

The dark cyan earth pony let out a snarl and sprang after the fleeing duo with surprising speed. The pair ran for the door as fast as they could, shoving and stumbling their way through the sea of hastily abandoned chairs. Even with Lore levitating several chairs out of their way at a time, it wasn't enough. All the obstacles were slowing them down, and their mad flight was leaving a clear path for the cyan earth pony. In a matter of moments he was upon them, his knife gleaming wickedly in the candlelight as he prepared to strike.

"Ooooooh no! Not in ma tavern you don!" An angry, accented, and surprisingly female voice bellowed through the tavern. There was the loud clang of metal striking something solid, followed by a small tink, and a heavy thud as something hit the floor. "How many times do ah have ta tell you worthless lot of scum-suckers?! There ain't no fightin' allowed in ma tavern! Take it outside afore ah skin the lot of ya!"

Lucky and Lore froze as the angry voice berated them. Something about the sound of a royally pissed-off mare filled them with such terror, that all they could do was cower on the spot and desperately wish they were invisible. Glancing over his shoulder, Lucky did a double take and turned around completely to stare in open-mouthed amazement. He nudged Lore in the side and gestured to the odd sight before him. The earth pony that had been chasing them moments before, was now sprawled on the floor in a dazed stupor, groaning and clutching his head in pain. His knife lay abandoned a few feet away, and a large iron skillet, presumably the cause of his head injury, lay on the floor next to him.

Looking up at the glowering mare standing behind the bar at the back of the room, Lucky let out a low, impressed whistle. "Nice shot!"

The surly mare ignored the compliment, and simply nodded toward the door. "Aye, and you'll have the chance ta see it again first hand if ya aren't out of ma tavern before I find another one! Now git!"

Lore grabbed Lucky and pulled him close, whispering urgently in his ear. "Come on! Let's get out of here before he shakes it off!" Dragging his friend toward the door, Lore smiled sheepishly at the mare behind the bar. "Thank you, ma'am. Sorry for all the trouble." This time the mare didn't even answer them. She simply snorted and went about cleaning up the bar as the two friends finally made it to the door and stumbled outside.

Stopping at the bottom of the porch, Lucky stretched and let out a relieved sigh. "Well that was fun! I honestly thought it was going to be harder though." Throwing an arm around Lore, he leaned against his friend good-naturedly, exulting in their escape. "I mean, come on! He only brought two other stallions! I suppose that's fine if you're certain there will only be one pony, but you're a unicorn, and there was no guarantee you would come alone. I would have brought at least four, just in case..." Lucky suddenly trailed off as they both noticed two large, pony-shaped shadows break away from the edge of town in the distance and start slinking straight towards them.

Lore turned to regard Lucky Roll with an utterly deadpan expression. "... I hate you." He shrugged off Lucky's arm and gave the stallion a punch in the shoulder for good measure as he angrily whispered to him. "Why do you always have to open your mouth!"

They stood at the bottom of the porch as they tried to think of a way out. It would be pointless to run of course. They would only be chased down, or worse, they might lead them right back to the house. They had to slip by the two ponies, or at least incapacitate them, but how? As they tried to think of a plan, the shadowy shapes crept closer. Then, out of the silent night, a hushed conversation drifted to them on a gentle breeze.

"That must be him. But where's the boss? And who's that other one? How should I know?! The boss said to grab anyone who came out before him. He isn't out, so we grab them. Now shut up before they hear us. I'll take the one on the left. All right, all right, jeez... You don't have to be so rude about it."

Realizing the approaching ponies had yet to notice they'd been spotted, a plan began to form in Lore's mind. It would have to be quick though, they only had a minute at most before the sneaking shapes finally reached them. Staying as quiet and still as he possibly could, Lore nudged Lucky to get his attention. "I think I have a plan. Did you bring any rope?"

"Of course I did. It's in the pack on my right side... somewhere." Lucky said, his eyes never leaving the two moving shadows.

"Good. Here's what we do. You distract them, try to slow them down if you can. That should buy me just enough time to find the rope and tie them up with my magic."

Their two would-be assailants were almost upon them. It was now or never. Lucky nodded slightly to Lore and slowly slipped a hoof into his left pack, taking hold of a little bag near the top. "Okay. We go on three... One..." Lucky loosened the drawstrings on the bag he was holding as Lore carefully lifted the flap on his right pack.

More hushed conversation drifted to them out of the night. "What are they doing? It doesn't matter, just shut up and keep going! We almost have 'em."

"Two..." Lore and Lucky shifted their stance slightly, angling toward their attackers as they readied themselves.

The two shapes in the dark moved closer. "You know... I'd swear they wer-Shut up you idiot!"

"Three!" Lore Seeker's horn lit up with his magic, giving off a soft green light as he dove into the right pack and started frantically searching for the rope. At the same time, Lucky Roll yanked the pouch from his left pack and swung it in an arc before him. The contents scattered over the ground between the two groups, bouncing and rolling away until they became lost in the dark. Cupping a hoof to his mouth, Lucky took a deep breath and called out to the advancing ponies. "You know, this is by far, the worst ambush I have ever seen! You two morons are about as stealthy as a clan of rampaging dragons! I mean, my gods, are you both just inept or were you actually trying to wake the dead?! I'd rather go back inside and face your boss again than stand here waiting around for you two chuckleheads to 'sneak' up on us!"

The pair of advancing ponies stopped in their tracks and simply stared at Lucky in wide-eyed astonishment. Lucky's sudden outburst had caught them both completely off guard, and it took them several long moments to return to their senses. "They know we're here... What do we do now? Now? Now we drop all this sneaking around bullshit! You grab the doctor while I beat that loudmouth into a bloody pulp. No fair! Why do you always get to do the fun stuff?! Because unlike you, I have a brain! Now MOVE!" The two figures sprang forward in a gallop, charging straight at Lore and Lucky.

"I'd say you have another ten seconds there buddy, fifteen tops. Now would be a great time to do whatever it is you're going to do," Lucky said as he looked back at Lore, still digging through the pack.

"I would if I could find the damn rope! Why do you have so much junk in here?!" Lore growled back.

"It's not junk! I came prepared! It's all useful stuff!" Lucky said indignantly.

Two startled cries of pain, not a dozen feet away, suddenly halted their conversation. The pair quickly glanced in the direction of the sounds and were greeted to a very unusual sight. The still shadowy forms of their two would-be assailants were slipping and falling all over the place as they hopped from one hoof to another, cursing in pain.

Lore raised an eyebrow questioningly at Lucky. "Threw your bag of dice?"

"Of course," Lucky said dismissively.

"They step on a d4?"

"Probably," Lucky replied with a shrug.

"Nicely done."

Lucky bowed his head with a flourish in a gesture of false modesty, grinning all the while. "Why thank you."

With that, the pair promptly returned to ignoring their assailants. Lore stuck his head back into the pack as they picked up their previous conversation right where they had left off.

Lore snorted as he found yet another piece of junk in the bag. He used his magic to hold a lighter up in front of Lucky as he kept on searching. "What possible use could we have had for a lighter in this situation?! Were you planning on burning down the building?!"

"Well... maybe... but only if it was necessary!"

Lore scoffed and held up a large hoof file next. "And I suppose this is here so we could break out of jail after being arrested for the arson?"

Lucky rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Well duuuuh!"

The two attacking ponies had quickly realized what was going on and had been carefully picking their way toward Lore and Lucky as they conversed. They were almost clear of the improvised minefield now, and the two friends had only seconds left before they would be forced to defend themselves. Yet the pair simply kept right on talking as if the imminent threat didn't exist at all.

Lore shook his head as he reached a hoof deep into the pack. "You're an idiot."

"Debatable, but either way, I'm your idiot~" Lucky replied with a grin.

Before Lore could respond, his hoof brushed against something familiar at the bottom of the pack. With a shout, he pulled a coil of rope out of the pack and held it up triumphantly. "About freaking time! And of course it was at the very bottom." Grabbing the rope with his magic, he quickly uncoiled it and sent it flying toward the two startled earth ponies, now only steps away. 

The rope shot forward and coiled around the bodies of their two attackers. With a quick tug, it pulled them towards each other and knocked their heads together with a sharp crack. The two ponies instantly went limp from the blow. A few seconds later the rope had tightly wrapped around them both and tied itself into a secure knot. 

With a satisfied nod at the now unconscious pair, Lore let out a relieved sigh. "Well, I'm glad that's over."

"At least it was exciting!" Lucky said cheerily.

Throwing an arm around his companion's shoulders, Lore gave him a squeeze and chuckled. "That it was. We got the map, and we aren't dead. That's a win in my book!"

The two friends were just stepping away from the porch, when a faint creak brought Lore up short. Normally he wouldn't have given the small sound a second thought, but there was just something about it. It tickled at the back of his brain, and he just couldn't let it go. Something about it just seemed so... familiar! How could he have been so stupid! "Look out!" Lore cried as he shoved Lucky away from him with all the force he could manage... but it was too late. The knife came down, and Lucky cried out in pain. Lore let out a horrified yell that ripped through the silence as he watched his best friend fall to the ground. "LUCKY!"

The dark teal earth pony's lip curled in a sneer as he stepped toward Lucky, gripping the knife in his hoof. "You two think you can just run off? After all the trouble you caused me tonight?! Fat chance!" Blood dripped from the knife as he raised it to strike again.

"No!" There was no time for magic, no time for thought, only reflex. "Leave him alone!" Acting on pure instinct and adrenaline, Lore gathered his back legs and struck out blindly with everything he had. Miraculously, the full force buck connected squarely with the cloaked pony's jaw. The earth pony's head snapped back and his eyes rolled up as the blow knocked him out cold and sent him sprawling onto his back. Lore turned around and stared in disbelief at the cloaked pony on the ground. He wasn't naturally a violent pony. In fact, he had never struck someone before this very moment. Granted, he hadn't done it consciously, but he had still done it. 

Overcoming his momentary shock, Lore quickly kicked the knife away from the unconscious pony and dashed to his friend's side. His heart wrenched as he saw Lucky's right leg. Blood completely obscured Lucky's cutie mark, matting his coat and dyeing it crimson as it ran down his leg. "Lucky, oh gods! What do I do?" Frantically, Lore started searching through their packs, looking for anything he could use as a makeshift bandage. "Hold on, Lucky. I'll fix you up and then we'll get you home. You're going to be fine." After a minute of searching, Lore threw down the pack in annoyance and quickly grabbed the other one as he muttered to himself. "Of course the one thing he doesn't pack is bandages! Why would we ever need those?! Not like we were walking straight into danger or something! Oh no, just out for a little nighttime stroll! I swear, this is the last time I let him pack!"

"Well next time, remember to pack some painkillers too, because this hurts a lot!" Lucky said suddenly.

Lore whirled on his friend and whacked him smartly on the arm. "You asshole! Why didn't you say something sooner! I thought you were seriously hurt!"

Lucky threw his arms up defensively and winced. "Ow! Hey, watch it! I am seriously hurt! This is no way to treat an injured pony!"

"Apparently not injured enough to keep you from being a smart ass." Grumbled Lore as he levitated the cloak off their unconscious assailant. Setting it down beside him, he quickly tore it into strips for bandages and started cleaning the blood off Lucky's leg.

As the blood was finally cleared away, the actual wound was revealed. Because of Lore's quick reaction, the knife had missed its intended mark, and the damage wasn't nearly as bad as they had both believed. The cut was about a quarter-inch deep and straight as an arrow. It ran down the entire length of Lucky's cutie mark from top to bottom, perfectly splitting the dice and the '20' in half, with the '2' on one side, and the '0' on the other. 

The pair stared at the cut wordlessly for a long moment before Lore finally broke the silence. "That is just..."

"Awesome?" suggested Lucky.

"I was going to say eerie," replied Lore as he carefully looked the wound over.

Lucky winced as his friend inspected the cut. "Hey, easy! It hurts enough already without you poking it!"

Lore rolled his eyes and proceeded to dress the wound as best he could. "Quit your complaining. It's your own fault for not bringing any medicine. Maybe a little pain will teach you to pack things that would actually be useful for the situation, instead of filling your bag with junk."

Lucky's response turned into a groan of pain as Lore tightly tied the bandages in place. "Okay, okay, I see your point! I'll bring a med kit next time, alright?! Now stop trying to kill me!" 

Getting to his hooves, Lore helped Lucky up and steadied his friend against him as he used his magic to collect Lucky's dice. "Come on, you big baby. We need to get out of here. The cut wasn't too bad, so you should still be able to walk. I'll help you, just lean against me and let's go before those other two you knocked out decide to wake up." That was all the encouragement Lucky needed. He threw an arm around Lore and the two friends turned toward town. 

Before they had even taken their third step however, Lucky stopped and turned around. Letting go of Lore, he limped as quickly as he could over to the unconscious earth pony and started rifling through his pockets. Chuckling evilly, he hobbled back to Lore and gave him a big grin as he held up two bags. 

The larger one was clearly the sack of bits that Lore had given to the cloaked earth pony earlier. As for the smaller one, Lore was almost certain it was the assailant's wallet. Lore took the large bag of bits and quickly put it away before giving Lucky an accusatory look. "Lucky, we aren't thieves. Put his wallet back."

Scoffing, Lucky opened his bag and promptly dropped the wallet inside. "Like hell I'm giving it back! He owes me! This is compensation for my pain and suffering! I have a very delicate psyche you know. Who can say how much counseling I'll need to get over this! I might be scarred for life!"

Lore just shook his head and put Lucky's foreleg around him. "Tell you what, you can keep it on one condition. You never, and I mean never, seek counseling." Lore shivered slightly at the mere thought. "I wouldn't wish that job on my worst enemy."

"Deal!" Lucky said with a chuckle as the two friends turned toward town and began hobbling home in a companionable silence.

About half way home, Lore Seeker suddenly paused and glanced at Lucky Roll curiously. "So how did you get onto the mezzanine anyway?"

"Easy. Climbed the tree, hopped onto the roof, dropped onto the second floor balcony, found an unlocked door, slipped through a sleeping guest's room, and snuck down the hallway," Lucky rapidly stated, as if it was the most obvious and inconsequential thing in the world.

"Oh... Then what took you so long?"