“Extend wing!” Robert stretched his wings, six feet out to either side. The tips of the practice blades swung out as he did so. “Guard position!” he shifted his weight, partially folding his wings. “STRIKE!” He lashed out with his wings. The blunted tips of the blades drove into the target just between the peytral and criniere. And stuck in the wooden training dummy. He pulled on them for a moment.

“I think you over did it a little.” Cloud Kicker chuckled. “Nice killing blow mind you, but sharp ones do come out easier.” she fluttered over, and gripped the blade. “On three.” at the count of three, they both pulled. HARD. The blade came free, but so did Cloud Kicker. She caught herself, and landed.

“Ah.” Robert said, flexing his now free wing. Then he looked at the dummy. 'Bugger this.” He reached out with his front legs, put one paw on the neck and one on the shoulder of the practice dummy, and bent it. The blade popped free.

“Wow.” Cloud Kicker chuckled. “Didn't know you could do that.”

“Takes a lot of control not to break the thing you're bending, but it's possible.” he smiled. “Having claws that can grip the wood helps a lot as well.”

“I can imagine. Well, you still need a little work on the fine control.”

“Hey, the head stayed on this one.” he protested, waving a wing at a stack of headless practice dummies.

“True. You're paying for those by the way.” she added.

“Breakages were clearly covered in the contract.” Robert replied. “I know I told Twilight to add that in.”

“No way.” Cloud Kicker dug the document out of her saddlebag. She read through it again, then groaned. “Man, I am not charging you anywhere near enough.”

“Don't worry, I'll pay for those. After all, I do have an excellent teacher who's helping me stop breaking things.” Robert laughed. “Now, you said you were going to show me some exercises to do between sessions?”

“Yeah, I guess I did.” she took a breath. “Right, so you start like this.”

---

“Wow. You look like... a three-day old Pinkie Party.” Derpy laughed. Robert slumped on the table.

“I've just spent three days straight training with Cloud Kicker. If she bangs as enthusiastically as she teaches, I'm surprised her conquests can still walk.” he looked up at her. “Would you have them bring some of those coffee muffins? I would go, but I can't feel my legs.”
“Yeah.” Derpy said, fighting back gales of laughter. She headed further into the bakery. Robert closed his eyes, and woke to the smell of muffins. “Wow, you're really tired.”

“No kidding.” he bit down and swallowed two of the muffins, paper and all. It had NO EFFECT! “Ugh, please make the voice stop trying to be funny.” he muttered under his breath. Derpy pretended not to have heard him. Or the little voice.

“You just need more muffins.” Derpy laughed a little too loudly. Robert chuckled and ate another one. A couple more brought him awake. “Better?”

“Better.” Robert smiled. “Thanks.” he passed a few bits over for the cost of the muffins. She counted it up.

“There's too much here.” she said. Robert feigned deafness. She stared at him for a moment, then sighed, and put the money away. “So, has she got you in her bed yet?”

“No. I told her my fiance wouldn't approve and she accepted that.” Robert shrugged. “It's one of her charming qualities. She listens when you say something.”

“As opposed to?” Derpy asked.

“Roughly sixty-percent of the rest of the universe, if my calculations are not off.” Robert smiled. “I have the proof if you're interested.”

“Do I look like Twilight?” Derpy asked.

“Kind of. A little less purple, a little less horny.” Derpy blushed brightly. Robert chuckled. “You asked. Although you do actually look a little like her now that you mention it.”

“Really?” Derpy asked. Robert nodded. “Wow. Thanks for the compliment.”

“You're welcome. Now, you said you had a job for me?” he asked.

“I do.” she took a deep breath. “So, I have a delivery scheduled for two days from now, unfortunately, that means I don't get to be here for Dinky's play. And you know that there are many things I don't want to do and disappointing Dinky is at the top of the list.”

“So, you need me to make the delivery for you?” Robert asked. Derpy nodded. “I can do that. Where's it going?”

“Vanhoover.” Derpy said, leaning back.

“Okay.” Robert shrugged. “It's no big deal.”

“Really? The last time I asked anypony to do it, they burst into tears.” Derpy said, more than a little surprised.

“It's only a little farther than the trip to Manehattan. Though the country is a little rougher. Should be a piece of cake. Mmm.... Cake.” Robert trotted to the counter, and returned with two slices. “So what kind of package is it?”

“Nothing too big. But it's something that several groups have tried to grab. They wanted to send it with me because well, I don't look like someone anyone would trust with an important package.”

“I would.” Robert smiled. “I do see your point though.” he considered it. “And your boss doesn't have a problem with me taking it?”

“No. Actually he's pleased with the idea. He wants us to make the hand-off just outside of town, not far from Sweet Apple Acres.” she whispered quietly.

“No problem.” his eye scanned the room for ponies straining just a little too hard. He saw two of them, both pegasi, both at a table just inside hearing range. The whisper was just loud enough for them to catch. “I'll be waiting.”

---
He was waiting. Out on the north western edge of the apple orchard. No pony was waiting with him. It wasn't unexpected, just as it hadn't been the day before when Derpy asked him to do it. Out on the training ground where he'd been practicing with Cloud Kicker, safe from prying ears. Wards designed ostensibly to keep others safe had also had a sound proofing spell fused into them, to prevent eavesdropping, and more to warn him of such spells. The wards would keep others safe, by announcing their presence with a bell peal so both he and his instructor could hear another pony approaching. Which served a wonderful dual purpose.

She'd explained the plan, and the reasons behind it. The delivery had been hit several times, and was actually a shipment of valuable artifacts. Each time the attackers had been fought off, and the delivery returned. This time though, there were no artifacts. Luna had taken them through the dreams of several ponies and delivered them with none the wiser. The guard wanted the traitor found. They'd intended to insert a guard into the mail system and use them, but Derpy had suggested asking Robert. He already had a reputation for dangerous deliveries and the worst he could say was no. He'd rather enthusiastically said yes.

Now he was waiting for Derpy to arrive. He'd already counted the entire orchard's worth of apples and leaves. Finally the wards he'd laid out the night before rippled as a lone pegasus crossed them. Derpy appeared low over the orchard, wings locked in a long glide. She back winged and landed before him. She dug into her saddle bags, and passed him a square package, about a foot either way, no more than a few inches thick. He tucked it into his bag.

“Remember, mum's the word.” he put a paw to his lips.

“Gotcha.” she nodded and took flight back towards Ponyville. Robert turned and trotted into the forest on the edge of the acres. He felt the wards ripple once, then twice as the two pegasi followed him. He'd picked this section of the forest for two reasons. One was that it had the thickest canopy. An aerial survey had shown it was all but impenetrable from above, and thus they'd have to fly beneath it to keep track of him on the ground. He didn't slow down, but soon heard them moving from tree to tree. The second was the snake vines. He heard the yell as one of the pegasi ran into them. They weren't TOO dangerous if you weren't alone. They were relatively slow moving, but they could be trouble if you were alone. Robert had avoided them by staying out of the trees. He smiled hearing them struggle to escape the vines.

Clearing the edge of the forest, and getting onto open ground was only half the battle. He spread his wings, took three steps and beat into the air. He was lumbering, and doing so on purpose. Appearing to be an easy mark would make him likely to be attacked. At least he hoped. After a little less than half a day's journey he was hit from the side. He rolled and recovered, just in time to be hit on the opposite side. Whoever the attacker was, they were fast. He did not see them as they attacked, but instead of recovering again, he spread his wings and slowed his fall. The attacker plummeted out of the sky, but he felt the disturbance coming. He closed his wings falling below the attack, then snapped one open, and rolled over. Black feathers, black coat, and even black mane and tail. And fast. Not quite Rainbow Dash fast, but definitely fast. His attacker, who's cutie mark he couldn't see, climbed upwards then rolled over and dove at him. This time though he had her in his sights, and as she approached he changed the angles of his wings and rose to meet her. She started as he came, but couldn't break out of her dive. He attempted to catch her in a bear hug, but was struck by a bolt of lightning just as she approached. The combined attack startled and then winded him. He fell.

Landing on the ground can be painful. A crash landing more so. Robert crashed. Fortunately the field was mostly open. Unfortunately, he wasn't lucky enough to completely avoid thorn bushes when he fell. He rolled over several times, and landed on his back. He groaned, and rolled over. The sound of hooves rushing across the field penetrated his foggy mind.

“Listen carefully. This will be easy if you just hand over the artifacts. If not, well, this time we are prepared to take them by force.” the unicorn mare whom Robert guessed was in charge demanded.

“There's no need to shout.” Robert groaned. The groan was not an act. Landing hurts, and he was developing a headache. “What artifacts?”

“The ones you are delivering.” the unicorn demanded, her voice getting slightly shrill. His head was throbbing now.

“You could have just asked.” Robert grunted, rubbing his head. “Instead you give me a headache?”

“Would you have given them to me had I asked?” the unicorn asked, now slightly less shrill, but somehow taken aback.

“I would have.” Robert admitted. “No amount of bits is worth getting killed over.”

“Will you please give me the artifacts?” she asked.

“Not now. Now you've given me a headache. Now I'm not inclined to be pleasant.” Robert reached back and rebuttoned the flap on his bag. “If you're so interested in them, come and get them.”

“I was hoping to avoid bloodshed.” Her horn flashed, and a bolt of magic flickered out at him. A shield deflected it at one of the earth ponies with her. He yelped as it struck his flank. “I see. Perhaps you wish to keep them for yourself. Too bad. I will have them.”

She fired another magical blast, this time Robert didn't bother to deflect it. He simply stepped sideways. The earth pony behind him cried out and fell to the ground.

“My turn.” Robert lunged, not forward at the unicorn, as her magical shield said she'd expected, but to his left towards one of her earth pony followers, who obviously had anticipated being able to attack from behind. He reacted too late with his spear, and Robert ducked the hasty blow with ease, then proceeded to bowl over his target. The pony went down, and wound up with his spear tangled in his legs. Robert charged forward a few feet, then spun and lunged at the closest of his pursuers. Pony hooves are exceptional for many tasks, but rapid braking is not one of them. He plowed through two more earth ponies, before he managed to snag his bags on the hoof-axes wielded by on e of them. He sprinted clear of them, spread wings and took off. He heard a command shouted for the pegasi not to follow him, and smiled. He landed at the edge of the woods, and vanished into the underbrush. Or appeared to. The guard mages nodded to him as he crossed the wall of invisibility they'd erected to keep themselves hidden.

“The captain is waiting up there.” one of the unicorns pointed.

“Thanks.” Robert said and trotted through the group of pegasi and earth ponies waiting for the word to get the bandits. The captain, a deep blue unicorn with a target for a cutie mark was waiting. “Captain, they took the bait.”

“Did you make it a good show?” Sure Shot asked.

“Sure. Pity though. I think I could have taken them.” Robert snorted.

“There were eight of them.” the pegasi leader pointed out. “You'd have been mincemeat.”

“Only eight? I counted twelve.” Robert said.

“Five earth ponies, two pegasi and the unicorn in charge.” the pegasus counted, drawing positions in the dirt.

“There were two more pegasi in the treeline, wearing camo drapes, and two unicorns in the brush at the edge of the forest.” Robert said, drawing them in. “Not sure when they'd have engaged, but probably not until it looked like I was winning.”

“Captain! They've stopped.” the unicorn mage tracking the bags called. “The map says Cutter's Draw.” the captain said something very ugly.

“What's the matter?” Robert asked.

“Cutter's Draw is a notorious den of thieves and thugs. We'd need sixty or seventy guards just to fight our way in, and by the time we got in, they'd be gone.” the unicorn rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Then what you need, is an inside pony.” Robert shrugged. The captain glared.

“Yes, we know that.” he sighed. “We've been trying to get into there for years.”

“Then you're in luck. I know just the pony.”