The Rivening

The Pawn

Anger and anguish, shock and despair pervaded the meadow throughout the night. Even the most stoic of Dahrians broke down at some point.

Early in the morning, Connie jerked awake from a disturbing dream of being lost in the passage and feeling it closing in on her. She was shaken and shivering, having fallen asleep on the ground under the cot of one of the wounded, the heavy dew seeping into her clothes. It took a few seconds before she grasped where she was and then it all washed over her, the staggering massacre. Crawling out from under the cot, Connie was relieved to find the woman lying on it breathing evenly.

The dream had distressed her, but it triggered the glimmer of an idea. She needed to find Eneko. Connie scanned the meadow. Located Eneko and Milo at the edge, digging graves. As she got near, he looked up and walked toward her. His tall frame was haggard and hunched over, "This meadow is now a graveyard. You've been with the wounded? How bad are they?"

"Many will recover, I think. But this," she gestured across the meadow, "what will happen next? I'm so frightened." She looked up at him. "I have an idea about something, and you can tell me if it might work."

He listened, first wearily, then after a moment of pondering, sighed, "It's not a sure thing." He looked at her intently. "But. It might work. And we should try it. But after everything you've been through, I'll be the one to go."

"Eneko, don't be ridiculous. I can easily live with this. You can't. I won't agree to anything else."

Zatch had come to find Milo and talk about what they could do next. As he spoke to her, Milo kept glancing at Connie and Eneko's intense discussion.

Zatch raged, "Stop looking at them! No parlay is going to help us now. Listen to me."

"I am," she said as Connie and Eneko walked over. "But let's hear what they have to say."

Eneko said, "Connie's come up with something. Closing the passage. With two signalers...one..."

"That it? Two signalers, standing at the passage?" Zatch broke in dismissively. "Small difference." He gestured angrily at the bodies around them. His voiced cracking as he spoke, "We can't allow them to have died for nothing. We have to fight. How? I don't know yet. But getting two of you inside would be difficult and not accomplish anything. Come, Milo."

"Wait. Hear me, Zatch. Yes, it will be hard." Eneko paused. "And it means one of the signalers will end up stuck on Earthside."

Milo furrowed her brow, "Oh. I see. One on each side. The signalers facing each other. How would the passage react to that cross signaling?"

Zatch nodded slowly, "It would amplify the signalers' powers and both sides of the passage would begin knitting together at the same time. Maybe. But still chancy to execute. Who goes Earthside?"

"Me. Of course," Connie tried to sound convincing, "It's the only thing that makes sense. I have a life on Earthside I can go back to."

Zatch continued, "If you even make it that far." He looked at Eneko, "I take it you're the one who'd be signaling on the Dahrian side. You do both realize this will likely not end well for you."

No one spoke for several minutes as no one could think of anything to refute Zatch's words.

Eneko said, "If we don't try, how many more will die trying to stop this madness with a swarm?"

More silence.

Connie said, "I think our best hope for success is to keep the plan secret from the rest of the swarm. I worry that Rennish might have spies. Eneko will say he wants to parlay, and I will play the snivelling Earthsider who wants to go back home and get away from this."