galvarelli/nikki-watches-kral-return.txt

Nikki waited by the East Bridge again, shivering in anticipation.
Scouts on the roofs of the tallest buildings across the water waited, binoculars in hand, ready to signal that they'd sighted the incoming militia.
She hoped the messages had gone out in time.
Some sirens were still blaring, by the Barns, and, when caught by the wind, the sound of yaks dispatched to alert people to stay inside caught her ears.

Adrienne had found her a thick coat, which might stop a stray projectile.
She'd also brought a helmet, which Nikki hated on the feel of.
It clanked against her horns whenever she moved her head, and given that they had no idea what to expect, Nikki worried it would do nothing to actually protect her.

The tram was waiting.
All the switches had been locked in place for a direct ride back to Havenmount, and they'd gotten explosives in place to destroy the elevated lift into the upper floors of Havenmount behind them.
Adrienne and another guard, Trevor or something, was with her, along with one of Auroklos's Meadowlarkers, a youngish yak named Sarla.

Nikki tried to see all of the scouts ahead, but they were quite far, and admittedly trying to hide.
She wished she knew exactly where they were, if only to just have something to look at.
Some had been part of a Flock, especially those that had come from the Garrison, letting them send Adrienne and Sarla messages.
Apparently there were advantages to the Hierarchy.
No, Nikki told herself.
The Ottawans can do better with no Meadowlark to carry their messages.
And they'd avoid keeping it locked up, even figure out how to use the Meadowlark more efficiently.

She felt her stomach drop.
It was hard to think about, but they were mostly quite young, not those holding weapons.

―How long do you think? she asked Adrienne.

―I haven't heard anything yet, ma'am.
	If it's alright, I think it's best we maintain silence.
	It'd make it easiest for me to hear the messages over the Meadowlark.

―Right, sorry Adrienne.

Nikki waited what seemed like another eternity, but she knew must be less than ten minutes.
A flicker of hope started to find its way into her mind.
Maybe they'd been stopped on the way, and they wouldn't be here.
Before she could indulge in the fantasy, Adrienne suddenly seemed to grow alert.

―There's a crow, ma'am, flying here quickly.
	Probably going ahead, over the city now.
	Do we try to attack it?

―No, Captain, we don't want to provoke them to attack civilians.
	Any movement from the Garrison?

―Not yet.
	Still holding Northhaven, no movement into the Barns or anything.

Nikki nodded.

―There, Trevor said, pointing across the water.

Initially, Nikki didn't see what he meant, but after a moment she saw a bird heading towards them.
Trevor gripped his spear tightly, and stood in some sort of battle stance.
Nikki couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes.
Spearing a crow through wasn't exactly what the Guard was known for.

Adrienne seemed to be getting another message.

―They're in the city, she whispered.
	Handful of dwarves with them, too.
	Armored up.
	Looks like Kral's heading it up, wearing Calvin's helm.
	If I get my hands on that little brat, I'm going to stab him with his own horns.
	Cutting straight through from the east side.
	Seems like some of them are waiting behind.
	Ma'am, this―

Adrienne hesitated, then let her jaw set back in some attempt at composure.
―Ma'am, we don't know what dwarves are capable of.
	There hasn't been a dwarf-war since the Compact.

A shiver wrapped its way up from Adrienne's hooves, ending at the tips of her horns.

The crow was now close, and Nikki tracked it as it descended.
It alit on a tree near by, and stared at them.

―You're with Kral? Nikki asked.

The bird ignored her, and tilted its head quizzically.
It turned to Adrienne.

―There are yaks on the other side of the water using the Meadowlark to communicate.
	If they want to be spared, tell them to cease any contact, and not to touch the Meadowlark at all.
	They will put down any weapons and will come with us quietly.
	We will destroy any who resist, understood?

Adrienne looked at Nikki, who nodded.
Adrienne closed her eyes, passing the message on.

―I've let them know, she said.

―None should be armed, Nikki added.
	They're young, and pose no threat to you.

The crow ignored her, and waited.

Nikki felt her face and chest grow warm with anger.

―I have other things to negotiate with you, crow.	

The bird didn't uttered nothing further, staying completely still, fluttering not a single feather.

After a moment, Nikki heard a dull clamour from across the water.
Kral and the Witchfen Meadowlark, and as the scouts had reported, dwarves, were approaching the other end of the felled East Bridge.

Suddenly, the tree that the crow was standing on seemed to change, in a way that Nikki's eyes couldn't quite follow.
It folded in on itself, branches curling into the trunk, which seemed to curl and narrow until it was only as tall as Nikki, thin as her horns, with a small brush of branches near the top, where the crow remained.
At the same time, it seemed that _something_ was unfolding from the trunk.
The air itself, somehow.
And then, suddenly, an Ottawan woman somehow, stood, holding the tree as a staff.
Not actually an Ottawan, she realised, but a Witch.

The witch ignored the yaks, and turned to look at the water.
She seemed to flick her staff, and where the old bridge was, the water turned to glass.
The Witchfen Meadowlark began to cross the glass bridge.

While her back was turned, Trevor lunged forward with his long spear, but the crow cawed and he suddenly fell, convulsing in pain.

―Ma'am, now! Adrienne said, grabbing Sarla and Nikki and pulling them back towards the tram.

Sarla pulled back, and closed her eyes.
Adrienne screamed, until she suddenly stoped.
Nikki looked down, and threw up.
Somehow, Adrienne's torso and legs had turned to soil.
As Nikki watched, grass, and after a moment, lavender sprouted and grew from the guard-captain's corpse.
Her lifeless eyes looked pained.

―Sorry Nikki, Sarla said. It's for the best.

Nikki felt herself fall to the ground.
Trevor behind her was still, no longer moving.
She vomited again, and words of anger were tumbling from her mouth.

Kral and the other yaks were moving quickly, and were already across the bridge.

Nikki felt chains around her, but felt like she couldn't move.
She was being carried, thrown onto the tram.
The witch next to her, along with yaks, spears held to her throat.
She was pathetic, couldn't even struggle against the restraints.

The tram began to move, delivering the traitor and his Witch master directly to the heart of Havenmount.