Many citizens of Ponyville watched the procession of the armed and armored strangers led by the Mane Six as they made their way to the Library. None of the watchers dared to come out of their houses and shops. Windows and doors shut as the unusual group drew near.
Twilight smiled sadly at the sight of her fellow citizens and friends being so rude. With a sigh, she said, “I think that they all fear your weapons and armor. What you have is obviously real war harness. Usually only Watch Ponies wear any sort of armor and it is pretty ceremonial. None of them even has a sword, let alone big ones like yours.”
With amused good humor, Heather Bloom replied, “What big swords? You mean these Clydehamares? Nay, these be not the biggest o swords at all. Besides, as a Heart Keeper first and as an Honor Holder O' Red Hoof, I am swearn to the willful harming o no living creature.”
Fluttershy, made bold by her seeing Heather Bloom and Tam up close and hearing what she had, said quietly, “They may also be afraid of your fangs, Heather Bloom. If you do no harm to any living creature, what do you eat?”
Heather Bloom tilted her her big head to better see Fluttershy and said, “Ye speak little, small Fluttershy, but tis clear that ye do think deeply and well. As with a Changeling, I do survive and live upon the love o ponies, in a most literal way. I can also eat of cooked grain things like to breads and some sweets. If it come to a great starvin' I was so shaped that I may eat of meat and have done so twice in my life.”
The big, heavily armored unicorn shuddered and tears rolled from her eyes as she went on, “That meat was none o my killin'. Twas them as I led in our retreat, through the Winter o Starvation, killed the creatures for me. My dear father and lovin' mother lay buried weeks back down the Trail o Death.
"I was but only a few years past being a foal myself. All the Store o Love that I'd be a buildin' in my short life up to then wa' used trying to Sustain my mother. Three days past the burnin' o the Great Hall, she died o the burns she took tryin' to get father to safety.
“I wa' starvin' for havin' nay store o Love left and the Clan was determined to save the last o their leaders' family. They brought me the meat o creatures that they killed to keep me from the starvin' to death.
“Repugnant though it was, I could nay turn it away. More even than the meat, the Love o Clan fer me saved me. I swear then to be the best Heart Keeper that ever I could be and I am proud to say that I have kept that oath ever since.”
Twilight, more shaken by Heather Bloom's tale than she let show, opened the door of the Library and stood aside. “This is the Library and my home. It is your home too, until you find a place of your own.”
Tam nodded and said formally, “My thanks and those of Heather Bloom be upon you, Twilight Sparkle. We shall carry no arms against thee and shall defend your home with our blood if need there be.” He bobbed his head down some so that his horn could be low enough to enter the door. He entered with confidence. Heather Bloom, slightly larger even than Tam, did the same.
Rarity, bursting with curiosity about how the steel plates of the armor could work so smoothly, asked, “May we help you with your armor? It looks heavy. I am sure that you are used to it. Still, I would like to see it up close. It is beautiful.”
Tolerantly, Heather Bloom replied, “Then it is see it up close and assist us with the removing and the stowing o it that you shall.”
Rarity eagerly offered, “I could go and get a pair of my dress display forms. We could mount your armor in the Historical Book Room here in the Library. It would be close by to you but ponies could come and see it like it was in a museum.”
Puzzled, Tam asked, “Why would any want to see our armor? I grant ye that Heather Bloom's is a thing o beauty, but she did make it so herself. Mine is but a plain war harness, such as many have used since ages past.”
Even Twilight smiled at Tam's naiveté. She agreed with Rarity, “Armor like yours is really very rare in Equestria. I think that there are a lot of ponies, especially the younger ones, who would like to see it. A lot of them have been raised on tales of the Days of Fortress Canterlot and the past ages of chivalry.”
Heather Bloom stood thoughtfully for a moment and pronounced, “If it shall help your folk to be comfortable o us, then we shall do it.”
Rarity was practically skipping with delight as she ran out of the Library to get the display forms. Spike ran after her to help.
In a surprisingly short time, both sets of armor and the big Clydehamare swords were sitting on the display forms and show racks that Rarity provided. The Historical Book room almost did look like a museum with those displays taking up much of the middle of the room. Spike observed, “Of course they really don't belong in the History room. They aren't antiques at all, not like the map.”
Heather Bloom turned to Twilight and said, “I should very much like to see this map o yers. We'd left Canterlot already when the Princess Celestia got the word o it. She did write to us o the map and say that, as it was very old and o the place where I was foaled, it could be o much interest to me.”
Twilight's smile grew as she replied, “Certainly, Heather Bloom. I would really like to hear what you have to say about it. Aside from the ancient language in the writing on it, there are some things that we simply do not understand at all. There are some lines and other marks that do not match up to any features of the land as we know it.”
The little unicorn proudly lead the way into her work room. Heather Bloom and Tam followed her. Heather Bloom's first glance caused her to nod appreciatively. “Yer magic's good indeed, Twilight. This map would have been ruined by any less skillful than yerself. It is ancient fer sure that it is. Red Hoof's great hall where I was foaled is just where it should be, close by to the Everfree Forest.”
Suddenly, Heather Bloom sat hard to her haunches and began to cry. Tam stood beside her, laying his horn comfortingly across hers. There were tears in his great eyes too. He gave the shocked Twilight and the others a long and quiet stare. At last he spoke.
“Is it true that ye dinnae understand at all the meaning o the marks on this map o yers?”
A very puzzled Applejack replied for Twilight, “No, we can't figure them out at all. They don't fit anything that we know. Is it important?”
Tam, rubbing his neck alongside Heather Bloom's, said, “Tis indeed and very much to the credit o yer folk that a mystery it is. Tis a war map showing the planned attack on the Great Hall o Red Hoof.
"The lines and features that ye find a mystery show both the forces arrayed against Red Hoof and the deployment of them. My dear Heart Keeper did lose her father to the burning o the Hall and her ane mother, three day later o the burns she took trying to save him.
“Here is the proof that the ones she love so and loved her was killed by deliberate calculation and not a random act o some few evil ones. The greatest good o the map is simply this. Ye saw and studied it fer weeks and understood it not at all. Ye are far removed and in good wise from the ponies that drew this.”