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Secret Journal of Safi DAWN STAR, penned in the thieves cant of the Navarre Desert Raiders. It is quite unlikely anyone this far north would know the script other then Freija.
14th Felsite
I... cannot BELIVE what just happened. About that merchant we've been tailing for a week now, we made the move tonight. I slipped over the wall, but stayed under the gaze of the guards patrolling said wall, and managed to sneak into that window Freija had noticed the other day. Turns out it wasn't locked, guess I owe her cookie for that bet. I brought my pinhole lamp with me, which was giving me just enough light to see but not lighting up the walls or floor to give away my postion. The target was just in front of me; an intricately wrought spoon, made of silver and bone and even menacing looking spikes of gold. I can't even fathom how you're suppose to eat with it, but I know that weird artifacts like this get get snatched up pretty quickly. Some of the collectors we know are willing to pay handsomely for unique items like this.
Still, all this was for naught, because of course like an IDIOT I managed to trip over some toy or something that had been resting next to the display case. Went headfirst into the glass doors, just as I was slipping my lockpicks from my cloak. Made a HUGE ruckus, the whole thing came crashing down on top of me. I heard the guards yell in alarm and a squawk of surprise from Freija just outside the window. She had been waiting for me to pass the spoon, and anything else I could get my hooves on, out the window to her, but was suddenly in after me, pushing the huge shelf aside so I could get up. I don't even know how she got through the window, I had to wiggle to get in myself.
Still, at that point, we had no choice but to bug out, the job completely blown. We couldn't even get back to our room at the inn, we had to skip town because the merchant's guards had called in the city watch, and they were combing the area for the pair of thieves that tried to break in.
I feel so STUPID right now.
...And I think I left my lockpicks at the scene. Great. Just great.
15th Felsite
We've spotted a small caravan leaving town. Freija thinks if we're quick and quiet, we can do a hit and run and be off with some of their equipment. That should give us enough to get by for a few weeks, provided we can find a couple other small groups like this, and maybe even give something to pawn off at the next town. It's a good plan, wouldn't be our first time living off the land.
16th Felsite
Ok, new plan. We've been tailing that small wagon group for a day or so now, and I think they're a little too well armed for a simple shakedown. They've got some unicorn gal with her squire, or whatever, and some big grif with a huge halberd that he looks like he knows how to use. Freija thinks she can take him, but I've got a better idea. We're already missing most of our stuff we'd normally travel with, all we gotta do is look beaten up and helpless and pretend bandits hit us up, and they'll take us in. From there, we can wait until they let their guard down, then rob them blind and hitch our way south.
Suckers.
17th Felsite
The rubes fell for it, of course. I'm going by Dawn Star now, as I figured Safi might be up on wanted posters by now. They didn't catch sight of Freija like they did me, so she gave them that name, for now. Its not like either names are our real ones; we've gone through so many aliases I've lost track of them all by now.
I did the whole 'crash through a couple tree tops' trick, and now it looks like I'm covered in lashes. I think I split my lip open, even. Of course, I tucked my wings back, under my cloak, A) to make the damage look a little worse off, and B) because I'm not a big enough idiot to risk breaking a wing like that. No, shut UP, you. All you had to do was roll around in the mud, I don't wanna hear it. Yes, I know griffon blokes always fall for the 'roughed up damsel in distress' bit. You don't need to rub it in, woman.
Anyway, a broken wing HURTS, and is annoying too. I seriously don't understand how Earth Ponies and everyone else WALK all the time. Don't their hooves hurt? I had broken wing ONCE, when I was back at the guild, and it was terrible. So... slow... getting... anywhere.
18th Felsite
O...k... Maybe they aren't complete dummies. At least, that big griff... Fargo? Largo...? Is that his name...?
Whatever. He, at least, seems to know what's up. Of course, he seems like one of those really annoyingly uptight, morally straighlaced guys you run into in the guard ALL THE TIME who just do not know when to take the darn 'donation' and look the other way. Even if it helps me, helps them, and doesn't hurt anyone. Except for the mark, of course, by whatever, you can't please everyone.
He might be onto us. Maybe? I'm not sure, but he hasn't let his guard down like the others have. Even the unicorn isn't so bad once she comes down off her Unicorn Privilege Pedestal. Looks like the old roguish charm is kicking in! Freija wants to get friendly with the griffon, see if she can chat him up and get him to soften a little, but I don't know. She's pretty as a button, sure, but it would be pretty bad if it backfired on us.
Getting him annoyed is definitely more trouble then it's worth, right now.
19th Felsite
So... something happened today. All these lashes and cuts I got to buy us passage into the group, I haven't been dressing super properly to drum up sympathy votes. Well, earlier this morning, after the morning chill had started to wear off, I took my cloak off to stretch my wings out, and the campfire conversation came to an abrupt stop, everyone staring at me.
Seems they thought I was a zebra this whole time. A ZEBRA, of all things. I guess the marks and slashes they figured were some stripe pattern, which means they didn't realize I was hurt, which means I didn't have to CRASH INTO A TREE in the first place. This whole time, they thought that.
For three days.
SHUT UP FREIJA, I CAN HEAR YOU SNICKERING
I guess SHE knew they didn't realize I was a pegasus, and just kind of played along whenever it came up. Guess no one confused what species she was, they just saw a poor griffon lass caked in mud and came to her aid.
Mental note for later: I know she's self-conscious about it, and even though we've been married for a few years now, I haven't had the heart to tell her that when she molts off her winter coat in the spring, she looks... remarkably like a plucked chicken. Yeah, if you're reading this, Freija, know that I am showing restraint with this fact. UNLIKE YOU AND YOUR SNICKERING.
21th Felsite
So, we've been doing some talking, and I think we're going to stick with these guys, for now at least. The surprisingly sharp eyed guards haven't given us a good chance to make a break for it yet, not one with some decent loot at least, and they say they're headed toward a new trade depot in the area. New trading center with not a lot of established venders... we might be able to turn quite the pretty penny in a set up like this.
If I get a hold of some of my trading buddies, I might be able to get them to send some of their people this way. Could skim a little off the top, make a little nest egg, take a bit of an extended vacation for once since we got married... It could work.
25th Felsite
The unicorn's squire, or whoever he was, got ambushed today. Looked like the poor sucker didn't even know what hit him. It was a clean shot though, and apparently they made off with the armor he'd been carrying this whole time.
Might have some professional competition in the area, it looks like.
28th Felsite
I think we're getting closer. While aloft today, Freija and I spotted a clearing with a cabin about a days walk ahead of us, it looks like. We must be getting to the outskirts of the town, if we're beginning to run into farmer's houses.
1st Hematite
Wait. Wait, wait wait wait. That's not a cabin.
That's the entire facility.
The whole town is a single building.
Oh, and part of a sawmill. Like that helps.
You have GOT to be kidding me.
Great, so now we're stuck in the middle of nowhere, weeks away from anything else.
Guess we'll have to play nice with the neighbors and fit in and stuff.
...we shoulda robbed and ditched these guys while we had the chance...