The cadets were deliberately kept busy, as both an acclimitization to the rigors of military life and the best way to keep the young devils out of too much mischief, but they had a little time free in the evening before bed. Officially, this was a time for meditation or study, but in practice a period in which the cadets could gather and converse, making and cementing their friendships.
The instructors did not mind; it was very much part of the intent of the Academy that such friendships should form between their young gentlecolts, so that a cameraderie and cohesion might better devel among the future Guards' officer corps. Provided that they refrained from fighting and fornication during this time, such encounters strengthened, rather than weakened, the morale of the Academy.
Of course, given that the students were hot-blooded Ponies in their late teens and early twenties, some fighting and fornicating happened regardless of regulations. The point was to keep it discreet and manageable -- yet another lesson that would serve the students well in their later careers, whether military or civilians.
Given that part of Face Kicker's scheme had been to impune Leona's sexual, as well as military honor, the last thing Guidestar wanted to do was meet Leona alone: a meeting which might well be interpreted, especially through the lens of malice, ad a romantic or even grossly-sexual assignation.
So Guidestar spoke to a good friend, a fellow-cadet named Glint, who agreed to assist at the meeting, and at the next day's mess, Guidestar deposited the following note before Leona at her table, murmuring "You dropped this, I believe?"
Leona was a bit flustered to see him again, perhaps recalling the circumstances of their adventure the night before, but recovered swiftly enough, taking the note and saying: "Thank you. Those are important."
"Glad to be of service, Cadet Wind," Guidestar said, nodding and proceding nonchalantly on his way.
What he had written was:
Dear Cadet Wind,
I am available to hold the study session we reviously discussed in the Library at 5:45 p.m. A friend, who is also skilled at mathematics, has expressed an interest in attending. You might wish to bring a friend or two along as well.
I am glad to be of assistance.
Your Obedient Servant,
Cadet Guidestar Flight
Guidestar deliberately did not look back as he walked away; he wished to attract no more attention to his brief conversation with Leona than was unavoidable. He had passed her the note: if she could not, or did not desire to, attend the proposed meeting, this would be up to her to communicate to him. Any protracted public conversation could but only set tongues a-wagging.
Nevertheless, as he resumed his seat, Guidestar could not resist the temptation to look back at the short, slight female figue sitting at her own table -- alone, but proud. She was staring back at him, some strong emotion evident in her intent, ice-blue eyes. Tight-lipped, she nodded, evidently affirming her agreement.
Guidestar assumed that the emotion Leona showed was excitement at the strange intrigue into which they had stumbled.
Even from his limited acquaintance with the young freshmare, he knew it would not be fear.
The West Hoof Library was a large structure of solid stone, with hoofs-thick granite walls and a pitched roof of several layers of slate strongly supported by an internal framework of hardwood rafters, capable of shedding rains, snows and incendiary bombs with equal ease. The windows were narrow, high-set slits, with hoof-accessible platforms within, from which guardsponies might shoot. The building was designed to in time of battle serve as a secondary strongpoint within the fortress walls; its shelves and precious books safely stored in the basement bunkers.
Within, the Library was magelit. This was necessary due to the poor illumination provided by the narrow windows, coupled with the clear fire hazard that would have been posed by the extensive employment of oil-lamps in a building whose purpose was to store cardboard-and-paper objects on wooden shelves. The expense of this much mage-lighting would have been ruinous for most mansions of equivalent size, but not for a military base whose garrison included thaumaturgical engineers.
Thick metal-banded oaken doors provided admittance to an entry hall with wall hangings and display cases showing scenes and souveniers from the history of the Guards, and supplied with well-sited murder holes. The librarian's front desk was wide and well-reinforced, thick enough to stop projectiles, and arranged to enable the engagement of any storming-party coming through the main entrance. This was perhaps the most defensible library in the Realm.
Now, in peacetime, Guidestar and Glint were greeted not by a storm of shot, bullets, bolts and arrows, but rather by the mild regard of War Artist, one of the assistant librarians, who was sitting behind the front desk, sorting through a drawer of file cards. War Artist glanced at the two cadets, then went back to his appointed task.
The main room of the library was lined with bookshelves, and furnished with comfortable chairs and tables on both sides, at which one might sit and study. The regular mage-lights provided a soft but comfortable illumination, less bright than the late summer afternoon outside. Here, several officers, instructors and cadets were already making use of the facilities.
Behind the main desk were still more bookshelves, stretching back toward the rear of the building. It was into these aisles that Guidestar led Glint. In the back, they knew, were study alcoves -- individual, two-pony and four-pony, consisting of benches and desks, with small mage-lights over each of them. Groups might take advantage of them, provided that they conversed only in low tones.
This suited well the aims of Guidestar, as he did not want prying ears to overhear his conversation.
Reaching the back, they explored the alcoves. At first, it seemed as if Leona had decided to avoid the meeting: only one of the alcoves was occupied, and this by a big light grey Earth Pony mare with a dark gray mane, whose green eyes glared suspiciously at them. On her far side was a huddled form which at first they took to be a big duffel bag, then realized was a smaller Pony, seemingly sleeping under a cloak.
Guidestar and Glint were about to walk past them, when the big mare hissed at them. "Pssst!"
At that, her companion raised her head, and looked diectly at Guidestar: ice-blue eyes intent upon him.
He recognized Leona, and bowed slightly. "Your servant," he said, and sat down, sliding acoss to the inside end of the bench. A moment later Glint sat on the outside, so that the two stallions sat facing the two mares.
Guidestar regarded Leona Wind. The younger filly looked, not unsurprisingly, much better han she had under the trying circumstances of their previous encounter. Her bright orange mane, streaked with its reddish-brown highlights, had evidently been washed, brushed and combed, no longer frizzing out in every direction. The little square-featured light yellow face was of course excited, but no longer afraid or hostile; those blue eyes regarded Guidestar with friendliness, ears up and lips curved in a welcoming smile.
Looking at that face, Guidstar was struck by the intensity of the animating passions. Leona, he thought, would be a Pony who strongly loved, or strongly hated: but would rarely be indifferent toward anypony she knew.
He saw something else, which stirred shame in his soul. That fierce little face had been marred by blows, including one which had raised a black eye on the right side. These were, most clearly, the products of their earlier struggle.
"I beg your pardon, Miss Wind," Guidestar said, "for the harm I have done you."
"Pshaw!" replied Leona, waving a hoof dismissively. "Mere bruises, and 'twas in fair fight." Her smile broadened. "You fight well, Mister Flight."
Guidestar felt relief, and as if he had passed some sort of test.
"You as well," he said. "Though you are younger and smaller, you are still my match."
Leona smiled warmly at the compliment.
The gray Earth Pony mare loudly snorted. Both Leona and Guidestar turned toward her in startlement.
"Are you two going to do some sort of Old Pegasopolitan war dance, complete with wing-blades?" the Earth Pony asked. Her mouth quirked slyly and she arched an eyebrow. Her dark eyes gazed challengingly at both Guidestar and Leona. "Or, maybe, a marriage dance?"
Glint snickered.
My treacherous friend Glint, Guidestar inwardly amended, his cheeks flushing hotly as he regarded his laughing companion. Looking back at Leona, he saw that she, too, was blushing -- and glaring angrily at her chaperone.
Guidestar felt the need to regain control of the conversation.
"I believe introductions are in order," he said smoothly. "I am Third-Year Cadet Guidestar Wind, and my friend with the predeliction for seeing me twitted is Third-Year Cadet Glint Camper. And the honorable ladies?" he asked, looking at Leona.
"I am First-Year Cadet Leona Wind," she replied levelly, the flush partly fading from her face, "and my perhaps over-protective -- but very true -- friend is Second-Year Cadet Grace Strongheart."
Cordialities were exchanged on all sides. Guidestar noticed that Grace was a mare full-grown, as one might expect, given that Second-Year Cadets averaged around 19 years old. He also noticed that, despite her earlier impudence, she seemed to subtly-defer to Leona, rather than the other way round, despite Grace's five years or so of greater age and year of grade on the young Pegasus.
It might have been an effect of Leona's High Born status, but Guidestar thought it was something more. Leona was full of energy and determination: a natural leader, even given her youth. Guidestar imagined that Grace might have been caugh up and pulled along in the wake of Leona's charisma.
One proof of that charisma was that Guidestar himself was here in this library, about to propose a plan to help her -- at some risk to his own prospects. Possibly even at considerable risk to his own life, if things went badly wrong. Guidestar intellectually understood his -- which decidedly did not prevent him from responding to Leona's emotional pull.
He briefly wondered if she responded at all to his own. But it was not in his nature to moon over such questions, not when there was a more urgent matter at hand.
"So," he said to them all, "as to the business that brings us all here." He looked around. He could see no eavesdroppers, but he could not be sure; there were too many places for Ponies to hide behind the bookshelves. "Glint," he said, "are you ready with that guarantee of privacy we discussed?"
Glint nodded. The magelight glinted off his gold-rimmed glasses as he did so, contrasting with his creamy brown coat; the locks of his curly dark-brown mane shook with his motion. He seemed in that moment mysterious and powerful; not for the first time, Guidestar wondered how well he understood the complex thoughts playing in the mind of his friend, a Pony his full efual in intellect, and -- as a Unicorn -- one whose mind could channel the forces of magic through his horn.
Glint concentrated and turned his head outward. His horn glowed, with a shimmering golden light that transferred itself to a bubble of air surrounding them and their benches and desk. There was a final flash of light, and the field fully separated from his horn, stablized, and faded to a barely-noticable gleam in the air.
The unicorn stallion gave a gasp of relief and relaxed, seeming to deflate slightly, sweat springing from his brow. "There we go," he said, turning and smiling at Guidestar. "Nopony can hear us through this shield, unless we either shout or they use some advanced magic."
Guidestar nodded. "Good work," he told his friend. He turned to Leona. "Now," he said, "I'm sure you understand, in general, what Face Kicker was trying to do to you?"
Leona pursed her lips tightly. "Betray me," she said, her ears drooping. "He set me up to raid the arsenal as a hazing prank, but meant me to get caught by the guard -- yourself -- and arrested on charges. That's obvious because he had his crony Bum Rush right nearby to make sure I got in trouble."
"Correct summation," Guidestar agreed. "I think he meant to get me in trouble as well, and ruin both our careers -- but you were clearly his main target."
"Wait, he wanted you to get in trouble, too?" Leona asked. "How ...?"
"Your stolen medicine," Guidestar replied simply. "He hoped I would lose control."
For a moment, Leona looked puzzled, eyes narrowing as she tried to work it out. Then they widened and her mouth hung open as she gasped in shock. "Surely he wouldn't ...?"
"He would," said Guidestar.
Glint nodded. "Face Kicker," he commented, "is not a very moral Pony."
Guidestar knew of the personal experience which had confirmed Glint in this belief -- they were part of the reason why Guidestar and Glint had originally become friends -- but judged these not matters to relate to the two mares without Glint's explicit permission. Guidestar simply nodded. "That," he said, "is if anything an understatement."
"I shall have nothing more to do with him or his friends!" Leona declared.
"Good," said Grace. "I never trusted them." There was a grim, guarded look on the gray mare's face which Guidestar felt hinted at some unspoken pain, but he felt no desire to pry into her secrets.
"I fear," Guidestar said, "that Face Kicker may prove persistent in his persecution of you."
Leona nodded. "I fear so too. Both for the enmity that the Kickers hold toward my Clan -- and a more personal enmity that he has for my own self."
"Might I inquire as to the basis for this personal enmity?" Guidestar asked.
"When I first came to the Academy," Leona explained, "Face Kicker pretended friendly feelings toward me. He claimed that he considered the old hostility between the Kickers and the Winds to be outdated in this modern era; a silly holdover from the Time of Thrones. He said that we, both of High Birth, should stick together." She looked down in shame. "It was not long, though, before I found how false were his pretensions."
Leona swallowed, looked directly into Guidestar's eyes. "In brief, he proposed to me that we should seal this rapprochement between a Wind and a Kicker by means of a romantic rendezvous."
Guidestar nodded, noticing both that Leona was able to speak very boldly on very sensitive matters, when she nerved herself up for it -- and that she took refuge in Prench terms to insulate herself somewhat from any personal embarrassment. Given that Leona was only fourteen, he was rather impressed with her composure.
"I see," Guidestar replied.
"Well ... perhaps 'romantic' is too flattering a description," admited Leona. "I fear there was little of love in his proposal. He meant to most basely use me, and I of course refused. When he attempted to touch me, by way of enhancing his attempts at verbal persuasion, I turned and struck him, on the cheek direct!" Remembered anger flared in her beautiful blue eyes, and Guidestar was glad he was not its object.
"You are quite forthright in defending your honor," Guidestar assured her, smiling. "I know this of a certain."
Leona grinned at him. "I am sorry I had to strike you," she said sweetly, "even in fair fight." Her expression darkened. "I am not sorry that I struck him. I would do it again, to him -- a thousand times again!" Contempt and fury mingled in her tone. Then her expression grew thoughtful.
"I suppose I must have made an enemy of him then," she continued, "but I did not yet know it. For he apologized, and spoke sweetly, and pretended to still desire my friendship. And I ... stupidly --" she grimaced in anger "-- believed him. I was a fool!"
Grace put a foreleg around her friend's shoulders. "No you weren't, Leona," she said. "Just young, and trusting. I was young and trusting, when he tricked me, too. He's pure poison, that one. More like a demon, than any Pony I ever met back home."
Leona smiled at Grace. "I was lucky when I met you," she told the Earth Pony. Then, looking at Guidestar. "And you. Many Ponies would have arrested me for what I did. It would have been safer for you to do that. You chose to protect me, instead, as if you had been my kin or mentor, though to you I was then a complete stranger -- even a recent foe. You are a true gentlecolt, Guidestar Wind."
"And you, Miss Wind," Guidestar said, half-choked by emotion, "are a true Lady of the High Clans." The sentiment was mostly conventional, but he believed it; perhaps more wholly than anything he had said in his life. This was, after all, exactly the sort of situation for which his manners -- and his underlying morals -- had been trained.
Leona's blue eyes shone as she gazed at him. Then she continued:
"The rest of my story you have probably surmised," she said. "He feigned friendship for me, keeping me company and conversing with me in a respectable fashion. He led me to believe that his previous conduct sprang from an unworthy impulse of which he was now sorry. He assigned me the task of bringing back a trophy from the magazine to prove my courage -- nothing serious or valuable, just a single lead ball from a grape-cartridge -- and gave me the key to the door to that end. And betrayed me --" she looked sad, ears drooping, "-- as he always intended. To punish me, no doubt, for refusing to be his paramour."
"Say, rather, his victim," interjected Guidestar. "Your first instinct regarding him was correct. He meant to use you. Had you yielded, he would have accompanied you only long enough to make his conquest obvious to everypony at the Hoof, then dropped you in some humiliating fashion, to ensure everypony remembered this achievement. He would have made you his instrument for counting coup against the Winds."
"I see," said Leona, blanching at the thought. "That would have been a bad start to my military career, to say the least!" She put up her chin, and added in a firm, clear voice. "Understand this -- I would not have withdrawn from the Academy."
"I can believe it ... of you," stated Guidestar, feeling a warm admiration for the young mare's moral courage. "Still, he would have deeply wounded you."
"Surely I am now safe?" Leona asked. "He has, after all, tried twice to do me harm, and has in the process entirely lost my trust. I shall scarcely fall for his blandishments a third time!"
"I would hope so," replied Guidestar. "But ..." His voice trailed off helplessly. He had to tell her the truth, but he hated to have to say it to her face.
Leona met his gaze levelly. "You don't think he's going to give up. Do you?"
"No," said Guidestar slowly. "I don't think he's going to give up -- at least, not unless he believes that you have a protector."
"What about me?" asked Grace. She snorted, and her forehooves scraped the table as if she were preparing to charge right over its surface. "Anypony who wants to hurt Leona will have to come through me!"
"You're a loyal friend to her," interjected Glint, approval evident on her face. "She is lucky to know you."
The statement surprised both Guidestar and Grace, though from the way Grace beamed at Glint, it pleased the Earth Pony mare.
"The problem is that I think that Face Kicker is far more likely to strike indirectly at Leona," Guidestar said. "And in ways calculated to strike at her pride as a High-Born Pegasus."
"Wait," said Grace, the smile fading fom her face. "Are you saying that, just because I'm an Earth Pony, I wouldn't understand his high-flying machinations?"
Guidestar was caught aback by this. To imply that an Earth Pony was stupid or uncultured simply because of her Kind was the height of impoliteness, but there was an important point he was trying to make. "I --" he began, then floundered.
"Hold on," interrupted Leona.
Grace turned to look at her.
"I understand what he's saying," Leona said. "He's not saying you're simple -- he's saying you're just not familiar with the details of traditional Pegasus culture, especially among the High Born. Aside from me, how many High Born Pegasi have you ever known well?"
"Well ... none," Grace was forced to admit. "But that hardly makes me useless."
"You're not at all useless," Leona said. "If you hadn't been there with maskers, I could scarcely have ventured out into public today. You're a really great friend, and you've helped keep me safe already. But ... Face Kicker is going to try every dirty aristocratic trick he can to hurt me that he can get away with, and some of the most effective will draw on our shared background, the traditional culture of the High Clans. Guidestar understands that better than do you, or Glint ... he's also an upper class Pegasus."
Guidestar coughed delicately, getting their attention. "Scarcely High Born," he pointed out. "My family and Clan are minor ones. But I know enough that I may hope to be of some service. And ..." he paused. "I have a plan. One that if successful will force him to act against you only in an extremely indirect fashion in the future."
Leona and Grace leaned forward with interest. Glint had heard the plan before, so he merely looked worried.
And Guidestar told them.
When he was finished, Leona's eyes had gone very big.
"Isn't that dangerous? she asked Guidestar. "For you, I mean?"
"Somewhat," Guidestar acknowledged. "But it probably won't come to blows. And even if it does, probably not fatal ones." He affected a calm demeanour; the truth was that his mind roiled with the several ways things could go wrong. But he could not let these considerations stop him. Not if he was to protect Leona.
Grace looked at him earnestly. Then she leaned over the desk and clapped him on the shoulder with one hoof, just short of hurting him.
"Well, I'll admit," Grace said. "You're no coward. If you're all right with this, I want to be there as well ..."
"You don't have to be ..." Guidestar began.
"Nonsense!" replied Grace. "Leona's one of my best friends! And it's not me who'll be running the real risks here."
"I will," said Glint, "of course be there."
Guidestar gave him a grateful look.
"Somepony" continued the bespectacled Unicorn stallion, "has to save your feathery tail if things get dicey."
Grace snorted, and Leona giggled with unrestrained mirth.
"Thanks," said Guidestar, and meant it.
"Five-thirty tomorrow evening, same place?" asked Leona.
"Yes," said Guidestar, and the others nodded. "And then, on to our meeting with Face Kicker." The others assented to this as well.
"Very well," suggested Leona. "We should depart now, and separate before we leave the Library, lest one of Face Kicker's friends see us and wonder why we are putting our heads together."
"Good idea," agreed Guidestar.
They got up and headed for the front of the building. But, as they did so, Guidestar saw a slim-built Unicorn leaving the Library ahead of them, moving with suspicious alacrity -- almost cantering. He caught a brief glimpse of a deep-blue coat and a long black mane, on which was a streak of polychromatic color. Though Guidestar could not see the Pony's face, and the Pony was wearing robes, he saw enough to realize who it was.
"Starlight Spectrum!" Guidestar said to the others.
Leona nodded. "One of Face Kicker's pals."
"Do you think he saw us together?" asked Grace.
"Almost certainly," said Glint. "If not, why would he bolt like that?"
"Does this change our plans?" asked Leona, looking at Guidestar.
Guidestar thought for a moment. "He's a skilled mage," he said. He glanced at Glint. "Do you think he could have scried through your shield?" Guidestar asked.
"No," said Glint. "I don't think so. I didn't feel anything."
"Then no change of plans," replied Guidestar. "It's unfortunate in one sense that he saw us all together -- but in another, it makes what we're doing more credible."
"So tomorrow at five-thirty?" asked Leona.
"Yes," replied Guidestar. "It's still on."
They departed, Guidestar with Glint; Leona with Grace; to face the uncertainities of the night -- and the next day.