While the two ponies talked, they were being watched. In the distance, on the other side of the glittering lake, a tree shook. Several birds flew out in a frantic escape. A griffon's head poked through the leaves. It had the larger beak common to the tercels of the minority species. Certainly uncommon in Equestria. Even more uncommon perhaps was the color, instead of the classic yellow white, his beak was a sleek jet black. The rest of his body was a combination of mottled black and brown, with wings mostly black. His underbelly was a snow white. He had a scar running across one eye, which was also thick with cataracts.
He plucked a feather from his chest and unrolled a scroll. Not having any ink, he cut a small gash in his arm with a claw. He stared briefly at the many, many, many scars from doing this before, writing for that smart ass stallion that wrecked his ship. "Little scalawag. He better hope this little side trip brings in the booty..."
He grumbled and writes whatever the two ponies were saying. In all fairness he was better suited for reconnaissance than the one who asked. His avian senses could hear and see everything the two were saying from the safe distance. "Little blue'd have to get much closer to hear anything at all. With that lizard prowling about he'd have a hard time."
He finished writing and rolled up the scroll. Suddenly a poke on his back. Sharp. He swiftly turned around to find that all to familiar insane smile back at him, pasted on a blue face, answering with the disturbingly cool voice. "Get the intel Blackbeak?"
"Got me money?"
"Course I do." Sideswipe tossed a small drawbag towards the mercenary. "Couldn't lie to a pirate now could I?"
The griffon caught it and shoves the messy message to his companion. "Guess you could, but ya'd be payin in blood."
Sideswipe read the message intently. "Something you already do my friend. Kill you to buy some ink?"
"Maybe I would. And we ain't friends. You're a stowaway who crashed me ship. Now I'm stuck with ya."
Another cocky smile. "Sums it up quite nicely."
"You suck."
Blackbeak looked away from his forced employer and back at the two young ponies in the distance. "Kid's gotta Basilisk. Hope you didn't underestimate the brat."
Slightly less calm tone. "Not a chance. If anything Fluttershy is more of a threat."
The griffon stopped, then turns confused. "You mean the yellow one? Little wench would be scared of a blowfish! How in the hell is she a threat?"
"She didn't fall flat of a secret stash hidden in her house. Plus she's hooves over heels for Granite. Love can make you do some crazy stuff."
"Aye. Perhaps ye've got a point there. Then again what ye know about that?"
Blackbeak felt the creepy sense that something was amiss. Sideswipe's face went emotionless as he searched his broken mind for a plan, then he sighed. "Nothing yet. Just keep tabs on the stallion. I'll be getting the bits back tonight."
"Tonight? How?"
Once again his face smiled with a disturbing ease. "Simple. Break in again and take it. Then we'll drop by and talk to our little lady friend."
He chuckles, and Blackbeak shivered. That sinister chuckle always sent a shiver down his spine, which was hard to do for a battle hardened griffon. Then again, Sideswipe wasn't a normal pony