Chapter 3: Crow's Nest

"Krav, you can speak with animals. Maybe you can find out what happened to it", Viani suggests. "But what will we do with it? If we take it to town with us it might get in danger. But leaving it here is risky, too. What if someone else finds it?"

Ember sighs in relief. The spell goes back into waiting.

If Krav is going to talk to it, he can give it directions back to Yelnar's home. It's easier to believe a random lost pony than it is to hide a group of folks and a horse. But I think we should assume the worst until we know for sure.

She looks around, not convinced they're alone.

"If I speak with it now we will not be able to carry out our plan of sending Shiloh into the Citadel. Or at a minimum, I would not be able to communicate with him after his return. At least until tomorrow. I think maybe we should bring the pony with us and leave it just outside the perimeter where he would not be seen. Maybe he could even be loaded with Yelnar's weaponry and whatnot."

Verrian nods. "I agree with Krav. We should keep to the original plan if we want to get the information we need about the Crows and the Citadel."

Ember nods. That's fair.

It's broad daylight. How are we getting in?

"We're not getting in. Froak has some good spying spots just outside of the Citadel that we'll be using to look inside the complex."

She shakes her head.

Not into the Citadel. Into what's left of this town. We're trying to figure out what's wrong with this pony, and the sun's gonna be up soon. We can't sneak into town once it's daylight! And, frick! What if this pony belongs to like, a halfling or a gnome or someone who works for the Crows? And they come back and don't see him where they expect to? They'd know something is up!


It is taking everything in her power not to let the voice in her head have a say in this conversation. Her face scrunches trying to keep her nerves from taking over. She's doing....okay for now.

Verrian says, "We can either leave him as we found him or take him along. Whichever choice we make, Ember is right - we need to hurry if we're going to avoid being seen."

Ember looks at Verrian, amazed again that the collected woman seems to have similar ideas as her mess of a self. Then she looks at the pony, then Verrian, then the pony, then Viani, then the pony, then the others.

She nods her head to Viani, as if telling her to do stuff. Ember sure as heck can't handle the pony.

Right! Horse Friend it is. Let's roll!

She starts heading toward the town.

Viani looks at Ember nervously. Did the girl seriously just appoint her to take care of the pony? She likes animals but she's not the best at dealing with them. They get scared or disobey, even her chickens still got startled by her from time to time.
But she has to try it. If she hands off this responsibility to someone else, how will she ever prove her usefulness?
She walks up to the pony that's standing with Yelnar right now and holds out her hand to stroke its mane. She talks to it softly in Elven, then stops abruptly and looks at Krav. "Krav, do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"

Yelnar pipes up "I think this little fellow is probably more stealthy than I am, I don’t think bringing him along to the house we intending to inhabit would be a problem. I can look after it, I’ll tether it on the opposite side of the building from the Citadel." He pats the ponies’ shoulder.

Ember sets her hand on her head and sighs.

I tried.

Krav?

Viani quickly pulls her hand back from the pony, afraid it might bite her. She then takes a few steps back and lets someone else handle it.