The moment Arambai was out of earshot, Maple began to fume. "Nnnngh!" Angrily, she kneaded the wood flooring with her forehooves. "What was he thinking?"
"Mmm." Gerardo nodded his head in agreement. "While his logic is sound, I still can't help but feel I've been blackmailed."
"Ugh! Not you! Me!" Maple would have thrown her hooves in the air, but didn't want to unbalance Starlight. "Why would he talk about a secret way out of town right next to Starlight? He knows how precarious it is that she's here! She even tried to use his teleporter to run away!" She scowled heavily down the bridge the stallion had left by, expression not at all matched by the color and cheer of the forest. "And he just... he just told her..."
"I'm right here, you know," Starlight droned from atop her back. "I can hear you, and I'm not leaving. I thought about it... but I changed my mind. I'm staying here with you."
Maple immediately calmed... mostly. "Thank you..." She reached back to nuzzle the filly.
"It's still super strange, though," Amber muttered, pacing and holding her chin. "Whether Starlight should have heard it or not, what about us? If he really wanted to keep that as tight a secret as possible, why not tell Gerardo alone? Why drag you and me into it?"
"It's not impossible he means it as a test," Gerardo said with a shrug. Upon receiving two identical stares, he elaborated, "Of my ability to keep a secret. Much easier for me to not tell anyone than to keep those who know from telling, is it not?"
"Well, we won't tell..." Amber said hesitantly. "But if it's a test for you, why would he specifically warn us himself not to tell our best friend? Wouldn't he stick that on you?"
"He told us so much other stuff that didn't have to do with that, too," Maple murmured, walking back toward the other two. "We were in private in his house. Why bring us all the way out here? Not that it isn't pretty, or anything. But he made a big point about how much food he had stored up..."
"You don't suppose it was a veiled threat that he can and will stop the ferry at any time if word gets out, do you?" Gerardo asked, pacing as well.
"Veiled? Didn't he say that directly?" Amber rubbed her head. "It feels like overkill, but..."
"I wonder just what's going on in Ironridge that he can keep that much food coming out on a regular basis, but stay completely hidden," Maple mused. "How much do you think a town this big eats in a day? For that matter, I wonder how many ponies even live in Riverfall. A thousand? Two?"
"It just doesn't make sense..." Amber whined. "Didn't we go to him in the first place to clear things up? Why did he have to go and be confusing? He's usually so helpful!"
Starlight loudly cleared her throat from atop Maple's back, prompting everyone to look her way. "Okay," she demanded, "stop being paranoid! I'm not leaving, and we're all being quiet so Gerardo can leave. Problem solved." She looked around, as if satisfaction with her outburst was conditional on everyone else's approval.
Maple looked at Amber. "Can you do that?"
"I can do that. Sounds like a plan." Amber shrugged back. "You?"
"Mmhm." Maple nodded solemnly, then turned to the griffon. "Okay, Gerardo. We won't speak of this to anyone, even Willow. I'm going to have some words with Arambai about it, and I expect Amber is too, but only after you're safely on your way. I..." She looked sheepishly to the side. "I guess you don't really have an end of the bargain to hold up, do you? Still, we're thankful that you helped distract everyone from Starlight earlier, and we are sorry about what happened to your boat, so..."
She reached out a hoof in offering, and Gerardo shook it, sealing the deal. He gasped slightly as he did so. "You are unexpectedly strong! Err, pardon. Nevertheless, you have my thanks."
Amber held out a hoof, and they similarly shook. Starlight settled for an exchange of nods.
"Well... it's a long walk back..." Maple sighed and turned toward the bridge. "I better get going. I'd like to open the store a bit before dinner. Starlight? Want to walk, this time?"
Starlight slipped off her back, and the two stepped side-by-side down the bridge that led to the ground, the colors of the afternoon shifting around them.
Amber and Gerardo remained on the platform, watching them leave. Amber eventually shrugged, the sun shining through the river corridor and illuminating her yellow back. "So..."
"I take it you'd prefer a ride back?" Gerardo asked, tilting his head. "I have no intent of repeating that trek, at least."
"Yeah... hold on." Amber bit her lip, fidgeting with a hoof. "There's still something not quite right, and I can't put my hoof on it..."
"Concerning our recent lecture by Arambai?" Gerardo exhaled. "I can't say it sits well with me, either. Still, there is little we can do but do what he says, even if it seems unfair or-"
"No. Not that." Amber held a hoof out to the side, facing away with a grim expression. "It's just... I can't get over it. He's usually so nice and helpful to the village. He totally cares about every pony in it! He's not a 'few for the sake of many' kind of guy. So why would he tell me and Maple that he's had a way out of this town all along, and not let us tell Willow? He knows our history. Hers, especially. He's the one who told her not to go to Ironridge when she had a chance to take us! It's like... like he's being a hypocrite, and now he's rubbing it in our faces? This just doesn't make sense! He has to be..."
"What's this?" Gerardo asked quizzically. "You and miss Willow were thwarted in leaving before?"
"Long story," Amber said with a shrug. "Not as relevant as it sounds. I'll totally tell you later, though. But it's just... out of character! Like, he knows us. Maybe even better than he knows most of the other Riverfall ponies. How could he have said all that and not expected us to get suspicious?"
Gerardo blinked. "You don't mean to suggest he wanted us to become suspicious? That he was... leaving some sort of secret message?"
"Ugh... maybe..." Amber rubbed her head, eyes closed. "But why not be direct? He's good at getting ponies alone. He had us alone! Unless it was supposed to be a secret that only one of us could figure out, but..." She sighed deeply. "Maybe Starlight's right. I'm totally being paranoid about this. He probably just wanted to be dramatic and messed up, or something."
"Perhaps," Gerardo happily announced, brightening and resuming his pacing. "However, I actually find secret-digging to be quite fun. And if there were any to be found here..." He stroked his chin for the umpteenth time. "They would be found by analyzing the broader context of our meeting. Do you recall what we were doing right before that deluge of information?"
Not waiting for Amber to answer, he continued. "We were discussing the potential implications of knowledge concerning the Plains of Harmony, which are apparently known locally as 'Equestria' escaping. And, immediately after, he chooses to reveal to those of us who inquired... all those who inquired... the existence of a route outside the city. Try going about putting an altruistic motive to that!"
Amber's eyes widened. "A warning..." she gasped. "He was warning us? That... if anyone found out... they might have a reason to, if they knew they had a way out of the city! And if they're good at finding secrets, of course they would..." Her pupils shrank. "He was warning us about you, wasn't he?"
"Not quite," Gerardo said wryly. "Remember who he specifically said not to reveal the existence of this conversation to."
"Willow?" Amber's eyes crossed. "Why Willow, though? Why..."
Gerardo opened his beak at precisely the moment realization dawned on the mare. "And remember who he said already knows about the ferry to Ironridge."
"And who I completely forgot was listening when we talked about where Starlight was from..." Amber groaned. "Pegasus feathers. We're thinking exactly the same thing, aren't we?"
"Sadly, I believe so," Gerardo agreed. "It seems our tricky ultimatumist is in fact a benefactor attempting to warn us about a possible foalnapping and subsequent sneaky escape."
"We're totally guarding Maple's house tonight, aren't we?"
Gerardo's beak curved in a grin. "Actually, I was thinking of doing some sneaking of our own..."