A full moon hung over the western coast of the land of Equestria. Two rats walked along the shore. They were foreign searats, pirates who had been shipwrecked.
The first rat, Captain Ichabod Slipp, was small and quick, dark of fur, with restless eyes and sharp strong features. Every part of him was defined: small strong paws, slender arms, a thin and bony nose. He was dangerous and sly.
Behind him walked a huge rat known as Blaggut, shapeless of face, with large pale eyes and wide sloping shoulders; and he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. His arms did not swing at his sides, but hung loosely.
Slipp stopped short on the sand, and Blaggut nearly ran over him.
"Why don't you watch where you're going, lardbottom?" Slipp snarled, in a foul mood as always.
"Er, er, sorry, Captain," Blaggut stammered.
"It's all your fault that we're here anyway- wherever 'here' is! I'll wager you was full o' grog an' snorin' when those ship robbers came aboard! Brainless, bumblin', bulb-nosed buffoon!" Slipp had Blaggut tight by the ear, and he punctuated each word with a hard kick to his rear. Even though Blaggut was much bigger, Slipp had no trouble beating him up.
Blaggut howled. "Owowowow, Cap'n! Mercy, spare me!"
"All right, belay that blubbering, bubble brain. Now listen up. I was your captain on the ship, and I'm your boss here on land too. You'll do what I say. Is that clear?"
"Aye, clear as a bell, Captain."
"Okay. Now follow me. Maybe there's some good pickin's to be had on this coast. We've got to find out where we've docked…"
Suddenly Blaggut was clutching Slipp in terror. Slipp pulled away angrily. "Wot are you doing that for, you blisterin' barnacle?"
"We're bein' watched, Cap'n. Look!"
Slipp whirled around and stared down the beach. A dark figure was standing a few feet away. It appeared to be looking in their direction. The rats couldn't see it too clearly, but they could tell the strange creature had four legs, wings, and a horn on its head.
Slipp leaped into the air with a strangled yelp. Pushing Blaggut to one side, he dashed off into a thicket of trees. Blaggut took off after his captain. They didn't stop running until the beach and the black shadow were out of sight.
"What was that thing?" Blaggut panted.
"Whatever it was, it wasn't no searat. Who knows what sort of creatures live in this country? We've got to be careful. That means you keep your trap shut and let me do the thinking around here!"