“I made sure the guard was hidden from view, then hurried back the way he had come from. I soon caught sight of the pegasus he was paired up with.
 
“I feigned injury, telling him I’d encountered, well… me, and that we’d fought briefly before ‘she’ ran off further into the orchard.
 
“He quickly called for reinforcements, and I pointed them in the direction I was supposed to have gone. I was, of course, injured, but not too badly: I told him I could make my own way back to get aid.
 
“If the guard had just disappeared, no doubt they’d be searching carefully, but thinking they were in hot pursuit, they barreled right past the tree where I’d stashed him. Once I was sure they were a ways passed, I retrieved the saddlebags and made my way back here. When I saw you passing, I decided to risk it to get your attention.
 
“They won’t stay fooled for very long, but hopefully, it’ll be long enough to find some place to hide, loose them again.”