Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 10)

Pratik did as he was told, deciding to wrap the mid-sized one, but bringing the other two over as well. He was vaguely aware it was making his fingers ache to have the ice against his bare skin but he was far too focused on Ada to really notice or care. Gods. What was even happening? What could he even do? He wasn't used to feeling like this. Feeling... helpless.

It's not like he could go assassinate the gods for hurting her. Anyone else would be toast.


Ky's stomach fluttered as she got to the first floor and saw the Ashes coming... from the barracks? Why had they been there?

That must mean they were all okay... right?

They all were fine and went to go instruct the scouts, maybe?

Or...

She bit her lip and glanced at Imali.

Imali bobbed a small curtsey as the Ashes approached. Gaius nodded to her, as did Sara.
"I think that was all of it," he said to them. "Is everyone alright?"

Sera took the wrapped icicle from him and pressed it to Ada's temples, then her forehead. "Can you tell me what you dreamed?" she asked.
"They were yelling," Ada said slowly. "In Nortung, I think. There were stones again, and the animals were alive this time. A giant white cat came up to me and snarled in my face...and it was bleeding."

Ky very much wanted to stay quiet and make Imali answer him.

Then realized she literally could not.

Right.

"Tadaaki and his family are fine, so is Ivar -- he's looking for May, we can't find her. Pratik is also fine and is looking for Ada, we also can't find her. And Lyra. She's in the library now."

She looked at Gaius as she was answering, but then quickly glanced at Sara and the kids. They seemed fine, too. Hopefully Ada and May were, too. And Rickard and Sera. Gods, had anyone checked on them?


It was all Pratik could do to keep from anxiously pacing. But he knew that energy would just agitate everyone. And Ada already had enough on her plate without having to deal with his angst added on top. So he stood stoically near the end of the bed, still awkwardly holding on to the icicles.

Gaius nodded. "Thank you for telling me. Would one of you mind finding Ada and the others and asking that they join us downstairs if they're able? I want the servants, everyone, to be on the first floor in case it happens again."

"Did the gods wake up, then?" Sera asked warily.
"I'm not sure," Ada admitted. "I....I don't think so. Not yet."

Ky nodded. He meant her. 'One of you' couldn't very well mean a mute or a small child. "... in the dining hall? Or just downstairs in general?"


Pratik took a deep breath. Ada had to go. She had to go. Back to the South. To the East. Fuck, at this point Pratik would take her to a different continent. Anywhere to get her away from these motherfucking gods.

"Downstairs, near something you could get under. The dining hall is a fine common area."

"Then you've got some time yet. I'll talk to Gaius about getting you home," she said.

“Okay! I’ll go get everyone!” Ky started to turn, thinking through how she was going to search for people. Should she start at the top and work down? Or start on the second floor and work her way up? She wanted to go get Tadaaki and his family first. But was it scummy to do that before she went to get her own sister? She should stop by the lib—

Absolutely not.

She glanced quickly at Gaius, then looked back at Imali. “What if you get Lyra and the librarians, and I get everyone else?”

Imali nodded, setting down Ua, who protested. Imali looked down at her, making her eyes as gentle as possible.
"We'll keep an eye on her," Gaius assured her. "Thank you both."

Ky nodded and flashed a quick grin, then took off. Right then. Tadaaki first. Then she’d go upstairs and look for Ivar and work her way down from there.

Imali followed after her as quickly as she could, already taking out her notebook now that her hands were free.

Ky sprinted up the stairs even though there wasn’t really a need for it. But she was anxious. And it gave her a task.

She knocked on the door. Tadaaki opened it a moment later. He had the mattress leaning up against the bed frame now, with his family still sitting next to it so he could throw it over them quickly if needed.

“Gaius said we should all get downstairs. Just in case it happens again. It’s safest down there.”

Tadaaki nodded and turned towards his family, silently gesturing towards them. They all quickly walked to the stairs. Tasia was still scared but not crying anymore. Aashi was scared, too, but attempting to put on a brave face.

When they got to the stairs, Ky started up.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Tadaaki stopped her. “Downstairs is safest, you said so yourself. Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m getting everyone else,” she said. “Starting up there and working my way down.

He looked at Ky with a conflicted expression then nodded. “Fine. I’ll start on the second floor and work up, once I get them downstairs.” He nodded towards his family.

Ky nodded. “Thank you.”

She continued up.

Tadaaki started down.

Gaius turned to Sara. "We'll discuss what we talked about once things are confirmed to be safe, alright?"
"Good." She nodded grimly. "I still think it's a mistake to rush into it."
"As I said, we'll discuss it later." He limped toward the dining hall. "Come along, children."

Tadaaki ushered his family down the stairs quickly, picking Tasia up in his left arm and wrapping his right around Aashi’s shoulder protectively. He’d run when he knew the assassins were after him because he wanted his family well out of the way for whatever would happen to him. But he was going to stand directly in the path of anything threatening his family; nothing was going to hurt them while he still had any breath in him.

“MARCELLA!” Tasia shouted as the kids came into view. “UA! MATTATHIAS!”

“Shh!” Tadaaki recoiled a bit as she shouted directly in his ear. “We’re all going to th same place. You’ll get there soon en—“

“MARCELLAAAAAA! Did the ground shake down here too?!”

Marcella turned as Tasia approached, and she, Ua, and her brother dashed towards her. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "It was so scary! We were upstairs but Papa was down here and he bumped his head cuz it shook so hard!"

Tasia threw herself backward to get out of her father's arms so quickly and forcefully that she almost did just that. Tadaaki lost control of her and yanked his right arm away from Aashi just in time to grab Tasia's arm and slow her descent before she hit the ground.

Tasia pulled away and went sprinting towards the other children. "Papa made me get under the bed so nothing would fall on us!"

Tadaaki's breath was a little shaky as he let it out in a huff. Tasia's abruptness had sent a fresh spike of anxiety through him and brought with it a flash of anger. He had too much going on for Tasia to be acting like this. Didn't she see how hard he was trying to keep her safe? Why were children so set on self-destructing every single chance that they got?

He sucked in a breath to yell at her, but Aashi slid her fingers into his, distracting him. "Don't parent angry," she murmured quietly.

They'd agreed on that from day one. Aashi had already been doing a wonderful job of gentle-parenting Tasia before he came home to join them. And they'd both committed to three rules when it came to Tasia: they were a team and neither would undermine the others' authority by giving Tasia a different or more lenient answer, they wouldn't react out of anger and would instead calm down before they disciplined her, and they'd hold each other accountable in the first two.

So, Aashi was right. He was far too angry to respond well in that moment.

He huffed again.