Moonfall, #2
The Ballad of Falling Dragons
by Sarah A. Parker
Contents
Chapter 28
Overview
Raeve, imprisoned in a dank cell, conceals her animated lark and feigns cheer to misdirect a guard. She names the lark Nee and resolves to survive. Using a bone shard from rancid rations, Raeve splits it into makeshift lockpicks and begins grinding them down, initiating a concrete escape plan.
Summary
Raeve, locked in a stone cell, masks her fear with forced politeness as a masked guard tosses in a tray of spoiled food and moves on. She waits, then reveals the tiny lark she has been hiding in her blanket, warning the creature to flee at any sign of danger. The lark’s playful defiance steadies Raeve, who names her Nee after noticing the letters on her pleated side.
Gazing at moon and dragon constellations scratched on the ceiling, Raeve touches her Aether Stone and vows in the old tongue to endure. Hunger forces her to sift the rancid meal, where she discovers a small bone within the gray meat. The need to escape transforms disgust into purpose, and she cleans the bone while imagining how to use it.
Raeve places the bone atop a sharp stone tag on the floor, aligns her ankle shackle over it, and stomps hard, splitting the bone lengthwise. After listening for any approach and calming the startled Nee, she confirms she now has two usable shards.
She hides one shard under her pallet and begins carefully grinding the other against the rough floor to shape it into a lockpick, planning to use them on the door and shackle. As Nee flutters above her, Raeve repeats her promise to survive, converting scraps and patience into an active plan for escape.
Who Appears
- RaeveImprisoned narrator; hides her lark, names it Nee, and crafts bone lockpicks to begin an escape.
- NeeAnimated lark companion; playful yet loyal, nearly spotted by a guard, provides comfort and resolve.
- Masked guardAnonymous jailer who throws in rancid food; almost notices Nee while passing Raeve’s cell.