Dale eyed the door leading to the guards’ barracks, considering the merits of hiding out in there. On the plus side, he was sure the off-duty stallions were as eager as he was to avoid all the womenfolk. The fact that they couldn't carry on a meaningful conversation was probably a wash—the guards hardly ever spoke anyway. But it was a fair bet that the nighttime guards were getting a brief nap in before Princess Celestia showed up—unless he missed his guess, her arrival was very much going to be an all-hands-on-deck moment.