A new offer (Silvern, Stellar)

[Silvern Gleam]

Year 4, November 20th, 3 pm

No new healing artifact was in Silvern's saddlebags, despite meeting with Stellar again, and Sil had even called the meeting early. The day before in the park, the artifact merchant had said that they needed to discuss something, without Stellar's master knowing that they met. Still, it was an offer Sil had to make, only one not involving artifacts at all. She stuck to her usual procedure and waited in the building neighboring their normal meeting place until Stellar was there and nopony following her. While she was waiting, she tried to figure out how to best approach the nearing conversation and what reactions she might get. What was a good way to ask if somepony would be willing to be a spy for a newly found and still weak rebellion? It was only made worse by the obvious risk of Stellar telling everything to her master, which would probably cause massive problems for Silvern. Needles to say, the blind mare didn't look forward to it, but the decision had been made that she should try.

[Ida Fjölnir]

Stellar approaches the building. Even she is now used to the procedure of their meetings Stellar is kinda nervous, since Silvern wanted to have a secret meeting now. That can only mean Silvern wants to discuss something different than healing artifacts. Something that would cause a lot of trouble, if her master would know about it.
"Hello!" Stellar says to a random direction. She knows that Silvern is there, but she isn't sure where she is.

[Silvern Gleam]

Hello Stellar, Sil said when she entered not long after. She didn't seem angry or suspicious, but a little nervous. As usual, she made her way down the basement, away from windows they could be watched through. No lock was placed on the door this time, it wouldn't helped Sil's goal at all to show much distrust. Once safe from sight, Sil turned to Stellar, a considering look on her face before she asked. You're relatively content with your current life, aren't you?

[Ida Fjölnir]

Stellar raises an eyebrow as Silvern asked her that question. Should this become a life coaching or something like that? "Uhm, I guess so." she says. Actually her life is relative good at the moment. Even that she's a slave for 4 years now her master granted her a lot of rights and being a slave for her is way better than working in one of those labor camps, she had been in before.

[Silvern Gleam]

Sil nodded at the expected answer. Your master definitely seems to be one of the nicer griffons. Most slaves probably aren't half as well off as you, she said, wanting Stellar to think of the fate of other ponies. She made a short pause before she continued. I don't know if I can trust you, but I also don't know how to find out, so I'll simply take the risk. I'm member of the rebellion, and you're in an interesting position for us. Your master apparently trusts you to a high degree, so you might get useful information. Sil was sure, if her eyes were working, she would see an expression of shock or at least insecurity by now, Stellar surely knew what came next. You hardly know me, and I know I'm asking much, but I have to ask nonetheless. Would you be willing to help the rebellion?

[Ida Fjölnir]

Stellar just stands there for a couple of minutes, saying nothing. She already thought that Silvern has connections to the underground, but a rebellion? She guesses that every other pony would say yes to an offer to help a rebellion against the griffons, but she isn't just a normal pony. She's a pony, who has a griffon as her friend and which good friend would betray another friend to get information for a random group of ponies?
"Yeah, of course I'm going to betray my master, who cared for me the last couple years and going to risk that I'm going to get killed for spying out the Griffon Kingdom and that for a self-named 'rebellion', I didn't even hear about." she says with a rather angry voice.

[Silvern Gleam]

The long wait didn't help against Silvern's general nervousness, but at least she had time to prepare for whatever reaction there was about to come. Eventually she was a bit surprised about just how much Stellar actually liked her master, but wasn't taken aback at the harsh decline.
I wished all griffons were like your master then, it would make the rebellion unnecessary. But as things are, most ponies suffer under the occupation, she said sighingly.If you don't want to do it, I will accept this answer, but please let me try to convince you first.
Silvern thought only a short moment before continuing. Working against griffons who do good to ponies is not our goal, and I won't deny you the right to live the life you choose. We don't want you to put yourself in high risk, nor do we want you to act against your ideals. You don't need to actively try to get information, and you can always decide yourself what you tell me. But when you happen to pick something up that has nothing to do with your master, and that might help us to eventually improve life for everypony, or at least keep further harm from them, we would be very thankful for hearing about it.
Even if Stellar decided to say no now, this way she might reconsider whenever she picks something up, that was all that Silvern needed for now. The rebellion was newly founded, Silvern hadn't expected Stellar to throw herself into trusting it like Sil had done. The only thing that she had to hope that wouldn't happen was Stellar's master finding out that Silvern was a rebel, there was no way to tell if Ida's need for artifacts was enough to let her keep the secret.

[Ida Fjölnir]

Stellar sighs and calms down a bit. "Well, it's not like I don't want to cause any harm to anypony, but over the last years most of them treated me like scum, just because I have this brand mark on my flank and the griffons just treated me like they treat all the other ponies. So it's not that I like the whole Griffon Kingdom, but my master always treats me with respect and sees me as an equal beeing and I just fear that I'll harm her, if I'm going to help you. Be it that she'll be hurt in one of your attacks or will get punished, because I give you secret information. So IF I'm going to help you, which isn't hundred percent sure at the moment, you need to swear that nothing will happen to her." Stellar says and makes a short pause. "At least no harm by the rebels." she addes with a sigh.
Stellar can't really believe what she's doing right now. She's going to join a 'rebellion' and will probably betray her master. Miss Fjölnir, her master, who cared for her the last couple of years and in someway saved her life by getting her out of the labor camp and she's doing this for a couple of unknown ponies, who will probably just exploit her. But on the other side she thinks, that her life will be easier, if the rebellion thinks she and her master are on their side.

[Silvern Gleam]

Silvern nodded, this was a good reaction, and a promise she felt able to give. As I said, it's not our goal to work against griffons who improve the lives of ponies. If she is the griffon you say she is, I will promise you that she won't be harmed by the rebellion, not if I can do anything about it it, she said sincerely. But unfortunately I can't speak for every individual pony, so let me extend this promise: Should you see trouble arising for you and your master caused by ponies, tell me and I'll do my best to help.

[Ida Fjölnir]

Even Stellar has Silvern's pledge now that her and her master won't happen anything, she still isn't sure about this deal. What if the griffons realize that she gives secret information to the rebellion? She can't build on them rescuing her and her master, if they get in trouble caused by the griffons. So Stellar needs to be sure that she'll stay undercover.
"So, purely hypothetical, if I'm going to help you, how I'm going to give you the information? I definitely won't visit the Undermarket or however you call it. That would be just to risky."

[Silvern Gleam]

Silvern nodded, before she answered. I agree, that would be too risky. Not only for you but for everypony living there. We meet regularly anyway to trade artifacts. As long as it isn't urgent, that will do. If you need to contact me faster, you can use this. She reached back into her saddlebags and brought forth two simple, white stones. One of them she levitated to Stellar.
Those are three-state communicators. When one of them is set to a new state, indicated by the color of the stone, this change will also happen to the other, this way you can signal me that you want to meet, or the other way around. It's easy to hide, and the griffons would simply take it for colored stones as long as they don't see it change. While she explained, the stones switched between white, green and red, both changing always at exactly the same time, though only one was surrounded by the white glow of Silvern's magic. As for where... It might not be a good idea to always meet here, but we could agree on a new spot for the next time everytime we meet. I won't deny that there's a risk, but I don't think we would raise much suspicion as long as we're careful not being followed. If one of us should notice anything, we can use the third state to signal that. If that should happen, every meeting is canceled and I'll see what I can do. Sound acceptable?

[Ida Fjölnir]

Stellar grabs the stone with her magic and looks at it carefully. It really looks just like a simple stone and that will make it easy to hide it. Stellar listens to Silvern and nods from time to time. It's a simple, but at the same time brilliant idea. She looks up to Silvern.
"Sounds good to me, but I can't promise that I'll have a useful artifact everytime we meet, depending on how often we'll meet in the future." And of course it depends on how many ponies with artifacts will be caught by the griffons, but Stellar withhold this fact. "How about every month? And about the spot. Well, I don't know this district well, so I
suggest you'll tell me the spots." Stellar levitates her stone into her saddle bag and wraps a blanket around it. "So, any ideas for the next meeting spot?"

[Silvern Gleam]

I already said that I won't always have something for you either, and I'd be worried if the griffons had many artifacts. Once a month is fine, Sil said, putting her own stone away. Since the suggestion hadn't come out of nowhere, she had already a spot for the next time in mind. Next meeting... Most southern bridge between the industrial and the western residential district, there's a completely destroyed factory. Part of its basement is still accessible. If we find it empty, it will do the job. Since this was meeting was out of order, and hopefully without Ida's knowledge, the the next date still stands. 30th, at 3 pm, if you have no problems with that.

[Ida Fjölnir]

Stellar nods."Okay, everything is noted. I just hope I'll find the building." she says with a light chuckle and slowly leaves the building. "Till the next time, Silvern." Stellar says and waves with one hoof as she steps through the door.

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