The Olden World

by Czar_Yoshi

I Know You Know

"We'll break here for the evening," Gunther declared, pointing to a recess between the tracks and a hill that could protect a camp from wind. "Everybody off their feet and rest."

Slipstream blinked, staring at the noon sun and their not-yet-winded squad of pack griffons. "Not that I'm ungrateful," she said, lifting a very sore leg, "but I think I can keep going..."

"The whole evening?" Gerardo tilted his head. "There are still quite a few hours left in the day, you are aware."

Gunther scoffed. "Hours of afternoon heat and misery. We'll sleep here, then continue on through the night. That'll make traveling safer, faster and more pleasant. We want to be awake and moving when everything else in these hills is up and about."

"Everything else?" Slipstream suddenly stared out at the hills. "What do you mean?"

"Not from around here, are you?" Gunther finished setting down his load and leaned on it, staring at her with passing interest.

"Wow, you found something scarier than us?" Chartreuse piped up, drawing near.

"Shut up." Gunther held a talon in her direction. "And go ask Red. That story's his favorite."

The red-suited griffon blanched. "Why in Tartarus are you dumping her on me!? You have a problem, Black?"

Blue just sighed, laying out a bedroll, then inserting earplugs and donning dark sunglasses and tuning out the world.

"You know, other things out here aside, I'm not sure I can get to sleep at high noon..." Slipstream glanced up at the horizon. "Maybe you all are nocturnal, but I hope I won't need to be very awake for continuing tonight."

Gunther shrugged, holding out two pairs of strange-looking sunglasses. "Here. They're enchanted to help you fall asleep." He glanced around at his allies and lowered his voice. "Though just between you and me... it might not be a bad idea for one of you to take first watch with me, if you know what I'm saying. There's trusting, and then there's stupid."

"It seems we think alike." Gerardo pocketed his shades, giving Slipstream a friendly nudge. "You rest. Out of the two of us, you need it more."

Slipstream nodded at his reassurance, beginning the work of spreading her own bedroll.

---

Half an hour later, the camp was arrayed, three of Gunther's colored friends sharing space between a lean-to and Red bivouacked a short distance away. The four griffons slumbered, and Slipstream did too, Gunther and Gerardo alone keeping watch.

"Red fell in a lake while trying to show off when we were kids," Gunther muttered, his voice hardly quiet. "Blue has one-night stands with commoners nearly twice a week. Violet's jokes are hilarious, and there's candy in the pack with the drawstrings."

Gerardo blinked. "Beg pardon?"

Gunther leaned back and folded his wings behind his head. "Just checking if my compatriots are truly asleep. Don't want any idiots giving out on us because they didn't rest properly."

Gerardo stared at him. "You want my help going behind their backs and are checking if they're listening."

"I didn't say that." Gunther rolled his shoulders. "Actually, it's the other way around. I want to know your plan for going behind them."

"My what?" Gerardo frowned.

Gunther huffed. "Don't play coy with me. Whatever you want this much food for, you'd have to be daft to want this many greedy, unruly griffons knowing where it is. At least, I wouldn't if I was in your place. You've got some plan to get this payload home while shaking us off your trail."

"...Well, suppose you caught me." Gerardo kept his face even. "Why wouldn't I lump you in with these other griffons? Perhaps you did return with food one time, but you're still hardly trustworthy. No offense, but it's true."

Gunther shrugged. "None taken. I wouldn't trust me either. Honestly, the fact you've gone along with us this far reeks of desperation. You don't want to tell us to shove off because you don't think you have what it takes to back it up if we stop playing nice. But you haven't tried to run for it either, so I'm guessing you need this much food."

Gerardo held his face neutral, but internally gulped.

"Now here's where I'm coming from," Gunther continued. "This delivery squad of mine, myself included, works together only to maximize profits. But as we make no effort to hide, we despise each other, and I'm not really in the mood to share with griffons I don't like. Knowledge is a commodity, remember? The less they know about what you've got to offer, the more there is for me."

"That's not a very reassuring way of saying you want to be on our side," Gerardo remarked.

"Think of it more like I want to undercut my enemies," Gunther stated with a frown.

Both griffons stared at each other for a moment. "I don't trust you one bit," Gerardo finally said. "What are you asking?"

"I'm asking how you're planning on making them lose interest in finding your base, and whatever's in it that you're protecting." Gunther pointed a wing at the slumbering griffons. "And I'm offering to help you. As proof of my intentions, I'll even do it no questions asked. That means whatever you hide from them, you hide from me, too... and whatever I do know, you can bet it stays with me."

Gerardo frowned. "If you were keen on keeping knowledge of me and my friends and any potential lucrativity to yourself, why invite these four in the first place?"

Gunther shrugged. "First, I'm not carrying all this by myself, and second, it's cheaper than renting a wagon. Better to cut costs by maximizing your resources than taking the lazy way out. Around here, I work for my money."

"You have me in a hard spot," Gerardo replied.

Gunther cracked a slight smile. "Yet you still find me difficult to trust. Keep a lid on your panic, friend. Keeping anyone else off your tail is in my best interests, and I know how to look out for myself."

"...Very well," Gerardo said. "Yes, you've read me correctly. But I still think I'll take my chances with my own team's abilities."

"You do that." Gunther chuckled. "Just remember, I know there's a ruse. I'll play along, but I won't be fooled. The next unexpected thing that happens... Well, you just keep an eye on me. Maybe we'll be able to work together more efficiently once you've seen how things work in my world."

Gerardo hesitated. "Have you ever considered making your world work in a slightly less-dubious way?"

"Hey." Gunther narrowed his eyes. "Griffonstone as a whole stinks. There's nothing but cultural decay as far as the eye can see, and being decent to everyone only seems like a great idea for as long as it takes for someone to take advantage of you. You're naive, and I'm willing to bet you'll return the favor, but playing for anyone but yourself around here never pans out in the long run. Besides." He exhaled. "If everyone around here insists on such a pointless passion as money-hoarding when basic economic theory and common sense says that'll only make your country a dump, there's nothing left to do but beat them at their own game. It's a pathetic heap, but it's still the only one around to claim the top of."

Gerardo shook his head. "Your country is a very depressing place."

"Glad you agree. Fools who think it's great are the worst." Gunther turned back to the horizon. "Now help me keep watch. Wild boar aren't things you want to be snuck up on by."

Comments

[Phoenix Kitten]

Oh goody, might the Dream gain another untrustworthy crewman, someone who can outdo Pancake and his brother?

[alamais]

9837212
I dunno...I think I still trust Pancake and Waffle more. Not much, but more.

[KMCA]

9837223
Now I miss Blueberry... Maybe she's in Starlight's sword.

[sploopy slooder]

Gunther is wasted out here in this shithole. tho i guess it was never stated how easy/hard it is to go somewhere else.