//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: The way to the Town Hall // Story: The Coming of Tam O' Canter and Heather Bloom O' Red Hoof to Ponyville // by De Writer //------------------------------// Tam and Heather took a few minutes by themselves in the room that Twilight offered to them. They took in their large pack bags of finely tooled leather. When they emerged, Tam was wearing a green cap like a beret, with a round pom-pom in the center of the top and he had on a fine white shirt of linen and lace. He wore a green kilt that matched the cap. Shoes of ornately worked silver with gold highlights were on his hooves. His outfit was completed by a wide belt of tooled and stained leather. A large pouch with an ornate silver clasp hung on his right side. A sheath of some black wood with silver mountings hung on the left. It held a large dirk with an ornately carved handle and silver hilt, topped with a glowing brown gem set in more ornate silver for the pommel. Heather Bloom wore a formal gown of white and black satins, trimmed with lace. Her mane was now coiffed with an intricate braid that was held with clips of silver and gold, set about with glowing red cabochon cut garnets. Over her shoulder was a purple sash with a large red heart upon it. The sash was secured by a circular broach that, at first glance seemed to be a stout but decorated half circle arch of silver above a full half circle of ornately mixed gold and silver set with more glowing gems. It was fastened by a large pin across it that had a jeweled head. Heather Bloom also had a belt of strikingly tooled leather, wider than Tam's. The large dagger hung from it was a match for the one that Tam wore. Her shoes were as finely made as Tam's. About her neck was the formal necklace of a High Lady of Celestia's Court. On her head was the silver crown of a Royal Duchess. Smiling around her fangs, Heather Bloom said, “It is presenting ourselves to yer Mayor Mare that we must now do. Would ye six please do us the honor o escort to the Town Hall?” Twilight's glance took in the finery, especially the Necklace and Crown of Office, and curtsied, flexing and crossing her forelegs formally. With a smile of her own, she replied, “Lady Red Hoof, it would be our honor to escort you.” The rest of the Mane Six had seen enough of Canterlot's Court Etiquette to follow Twilight's lead. Even brash Rainbow Dash managed to do a credible curtsy. They all followed Heather Bloom and Tam out into the street a turned toward the Town Hall. They had only gone a short way when a figure cantered out of a side street, wearing a Constable' uniform armor. Stopping in their path, but at a distance from the party, the pony demanded, “Halt in the name of Celestia and Luna! You are arrested for the crime of impersonating a pony of the Court of Canterlot. You must all be restrained and taken to specially prepared unicorn magic proof cell until your case is decided. You must hand over at once all of those false jewels and other criminal claims to office.” The uniformed pony extended a hoof menacingly and added, “Do not make me use force!” His scene was ruined by a young filly running up behind him and, turning her rear to him! She kicked him from behind with both of her rear hooves in much the same way that Applejack bucked apple trees. As the uniformed pony landed face first in the dirt, the filly demanded, “Curmbway! You give me back daddy's uniform! You can't just steal a Constable uniform and try to play cop!” Looking up, the young filly suddenly went from dun to totally pale. She ducked her head deeply and whimpered, “I am sorry for this scene, Lady Red Hoof! I should have called daddy to take care of this ruffian.” Heather Bloom smiled hugely, which, with the number of razor sharp fangs that showed, was disturbing, and said gently, “Nay, my little filly. Ye done just right and in perfect timing. Do ye witness fer me that this pony be a thief?” The filly looked hopeful and replied, “I had just finished polishing the armor for daddy and put it out on the form in back of our house to dry when Curmbway jumped our fence and stole It! I was in the house but I saw him out the window and ran after him. I lost him for a few minutes but heard his voice and came to get daddy's armor back.” Curmbway got to his hooves while the filly was speaking. He was trying to sneak off when Heather Bloom's horn briefly pulsed the palest of green glows. The unfortunate Curmbway fell rigidly back to the earth. All four of his hooves and his jaws were locked in fetters of a pure, glowing green. Ignoring the fallen pony, Heather Bloom asked the filly, “How are ye called, courageous one? An if it please ye, how did ye know me?” Warming to Heather Bloom's manner, the filly replied, “I am Daph. That is short for Daphne, but I really don't like Daphne. My daddy is Constable Crager. “I knew you from the pictures of you in the Canterlot Society pages in the paper. You spent a lot of time with the Princesses Celestia and Luna for near six months. They made you Duchess Red Hoof, Lady Heather Bloom, and put you just below the Princes and Princesses at the High Table. Just over two months ago, you and Tam O' Canter, Baron of Dran Dale vanished. Celestia told everypony that you had gone to visit your parents. Do they live near here?” Heather Bloom lowered her head to Daph's level and replied, “My folk are of the Earthen Lake fer some time now, Daph. I did visit their graves and told them that I have kept my oaths that were given.” Daph unexpectedly nuzzled Heather Bloom's horn and said, “I am sorry to hear that. I hoped to meet them some day. They must have been wonderful to have a foal like you.” Graciously, Heather Bloom straightened up, smiled gently and said, “That they were indeed, Daph.” She extended a hoof and offered, “Young Daph, ye have done me a great service. If ye are free to do it, I should like to reward ye with a place o honor in my Great Hall after it is raised again. Ye should receive also something for exposing and capturing this criminal in any case. Please accompany me to the Town Hall.” As the procession continued to the Town Hall, the unfortunate Curmbway floated up a few inches from the ground and trailed behind them, still bound in glowing green fetters. Stopping on the porch, Heather Bloom said politely, “Daph, I would have ye herald us to Mayor Mare. Tell her that Lady Heather Bloom, Duchess Red Hoof and Tam O' Canter, Baron Dran Dale, both o the Canterlot Court o Celestia and Luna wishes entry and that it be in peaceable wise that we come.” Daphne made a very good curtsy and said, “Yes, your Ladyship.” She turned and paced into the Town Hall, head held high. The group waited quietly in the shade for any response from the Mayor. Suddenly Twilight grinned almost from ear to ear. Heather Bloom inquired, “Why the high spirits, Twilight?” Twilight replied, “I am a librarian. I can hear papers being consulted. From the sound, they are racked newspaper backfiles. I'll bet that Daph is showing the Mayor who you are.” Tam grinned and said, “A wise child she is indeed. Preventing any gaffe on the part o her elders is clever o her.” In only a few more moments, Mayor Mare emerged and made a formal bow to Heather Bloom, saying, “Please come in, Your Ladyship, Baron Dran Dale. How may we assist you today?” Heather Bloom indicated the bound Curmbway with a short sweep of her horn and said, “Firstly, see to the gaoling o this miscreant. The pony Curmbway is to be charged with theft o a constable's uniform armor, attempted robbery o members o the Royal Court, and the kidnap for ransom o three members o the Royal Court o Princess Celestia.” Mayor Mare gave a startled look about and asked anxiously, was somepony injured? Who was the third member of your party?” Somewhat dryly, Twilight pointed out, “Me. I don't lean on it but Prince Shining Armor is my brother.” Terribly upset, Mayor Mare started to stutter an apology but Twilight interrupted her. “If I had ever wanted to be anything but plain Twilight Sparkle, I would have said something long before this. As you know, Daph does follow those society pages. She and I had a conversation about this long ago. Please keep it as quiet as possible.” The Mayor did, in fact, calm down as she realized that she had not committed a gaffe. She turned and called inside, “Chief! Send a pony of the guard to get Constable Crager at once! We need him to to be a witness that he did not authorize the use of his uniform armor!” Turning back to Heather Bloom, Mayor Mare asked, “Can we leave Curmbway here safely or do you need to stay here to see to the spell that holds him?” Heather Bloom replied with her unsettling grin, “Until he be bound in iron chains, I do not think that he could be moved from that spot at all, unless I do so will it. And I do not. Shall we go in to attend my business and leave this to the constables?”