Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 10)

Ky looked at her for a moment, desperately curious as to what she’d been told. But. Then. If she started asking questions, they would leave Lyra with the chance to do the same. And Ky didn’t feel like answering any questions. At least not about that.

“…like… the trolls… and the gods…”

"Ah, the troll." Lyra nodded fervently. "I completely understand that. That completely blows my mind! But the gods are all asleep, Ky. They won't harm us."

“I’m not so sure…” Ky disagreed. “Rönn… the troll… all these things we thought were legend. And they’re real. I think the gods are waking up.”

Her brow furrowed. "We know the gods are real. But where did you get that they're waking up?"

(Lunar eclipse happening now dunno if it’s clear enough for you to see)

“That’s what Gaius thinks,” Ky said, stopping short of saying that she hadn’t thought the gods were real before this either.

(My whole family has been trying to see it but it's been cloudy and rainy all day >: ( can't have shit in Mississippi)

"He does?" Lyra lowered her voice. "Why? Is he sure?"

( >:[ same. I just heard about it twenty minutes ago. But can’t see anything and I’m so mad I told my sister and she can see it haha like happy for her but I even got in my car to look for a better vantage point and I still can’t see it ;-; )

“I mean… weird things have been happening. The trolls usually happen immediately before and after something big happens. And. Well. Troll… earthquake… why else would they be so close?”

(Ugh we need high elevation)

"Oh." She had gone a bit pale. "Oh." She swallowed, looked down at the floor. "Is it....oh my gods."

(Lol meanwhile you’re like below sea level)

“I…” needed to learn to keep her anxiety to herself. Gods. Why had she gone and frightened her little sister for no reason? She’d been through a rough few months with Tarr, but otherwise had her innocence more or less intact, it seemed. Not the type to lock into catastrophe on her own, apparently. “But, like, we don’t know that for sure. Yra is still studying. And the other Tale Masters. This could just be a coincidence. We don’t know. It only just happened.”

(Yeppp)

(Like your boat amiright)

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "Okay. Right. I just...how long have you known this?"

(Hahaha omg I just literally loled well done TOO SOON)

“I mean… the troll kind of… started things. We studied after it happened… still don’t know if we’re right, though.”

(Never too soon to make a shitty experience the boat of my jokes!!)

"So for days now. Why hasn't anyone told me? How many people know?"

(*groan*)

“I don’t know,” Ky answered honestly. “I thought everyone knew. But. Well. If you didn’t, then that’s probably not true. I don’t know. I saw it so I guess… I… am more in the middle of it than I realized.”

Lyra shivered. "Will the trolls try to kill us, then?"

“I don’t think so.” Ky shook her head. She needed to be Lyra’s emotional support, not vice versa. So. Minimize. Deny. “I mean… they usually don’t come so close to humans. And there was only the one…”