From far away, a length of metal glinted, its strobing light piercing the snow fall.
Keris nodded. With his good talon, he raised a gauntlet, catching the sunlight so that it glinted back over the rooftops and turf houses of Braum. He looked aside at the Commander hovering next to him.
"That's Sergeant Windburst's signal," he said. "He and Starstorm have checked all the ponies leaving Braum. None of them have Rainbow Dash."
"Then that settles it," Seraphimus said with a grim nod. "The Rogue is here."
"We've established a perimeter," Keris said. "We've had our rest. Sergeant Raptr confirms no outgoing travelers to the west of the village." He gestured. "Now is the time to conduct an interior search, Commander."
"I agree, Lieutenant," Seraphimus spoke. "Signal Starstorm to join us at street level. In the meantime..." She began her descent. "...I shall announce our presence to the townsfolk."
Keris gazed down at her, fidgeting slightly. "Commander... are you sure... that... erm..."
Seraphimus paused. She looked up at him. "...you feel that you should be speaking on behalf of the Talon instead of me?"
Keris cleared his throat. "Merely a suggestion, Commander. Given... our previous experiences."
Seraphimus nodded. "I understand. However... I do believe here in Braum—this far removed from the central prefectures—a decidedly more authoritative voice is required."
"But—"
"And I promise, Lieutenant," she spoke firmly. "I will not repeat the psychological tactics that I employed in Seed Prefecture."
Keris clenched his beak shut. He nodded.
"All of our attempts to capture the Rainbow Rogue have failed so far. She's tested the Talon like no other prey ever has." She sighed. "Even I know when it is time to change methods."
"Aye, Commander. I shall signal Starstorm."
"Much appreciated, Lieutenant." She glided down towards the snowy heart of the village. "Join me as soon as you can."
"Will do."
"I don't know where you come from," Sarda said, sitting beside Rainbow's cot. "And no doubt you're capable of strange... powerful magic." His brow furrowed. "But if you're as dangerous as you claim to be, then you're much... much better off in the hooves of the Consortium." He bore a slight frown. "They can deal with whatever you're frightened about."
"I never said I was frightened," Rainbow droned. "And if experience has taught me anything in Rohbredden and the seven seas surrounding, then you shouldn't even attempt trusting these Consortium guys. They'll backstab you... it seems to be the fad in this part of the world."
"Which is precisely why I must backstab them first," Sarda said. "After all these years of them chokeholding us... bullying us..." He exhaled. "I'm tired of playing the nice guy."
"Careful with switching the nature of the game," Rainbow said. "It's very... very hard to turn face again."
"That's a risk I'm willing to take... for my village's sake." Sarda grunted, "Believe me."
"Sadly..." Rainbow sighed, gazing aside. "...I kinda do."
"Pssst!" Fluttershy leaned in. "Sorry to interrupt, Rainbow, but the Talon are descending onto Braum."
Rainbow did a double-take. "Already?"
"Huh?" Sarda squinted. "'Already' what?"
"Aaaaaaand..." Pinkie pointed down the earthen tunnel. "Sarda's buddy is coming."
"Don't look now," Rainbow said with a nod. "But here comes Kayman."
Sarda blinked at her.
"Uhm... boss?" Kayman spoke.
"...!" Sarda jolted hard. He knocked the crate out from underneath him from the force of his leap.
Kayman twitched in place, startled. "Wh-what's wrong?"
Sarda gaped at him, then stared at Rainbow Dash. "Uhhhmm..."
"Is everything okay? You weren't taking the freak's pendant off again, were you?"
"No, I was... was..." Sarda ran a hoof over his face, shuddering. "Never mind. What is it, Kayman?"
"The Talon, Sarda. They're here."
"Very well." Sarda nodded, marching away from the cot. "That just plays into our hoof. I'll keep their boss distracted while you take the hidden north passage to the wilderness."
"But Sarda—"
"Get back to Steamfall. Talk to their head hauncho. Tell them we're willing to do an exchange—at the north tunnel exit, if we have to."
"Sarda, the Talon's Commander..."
"What about him?"
"Not him. Her. It's Commander Seraphimus."
Sarda scuffled to a stop. He turned to gawk at his companion. "...you're sure of this?"
Kayman trembled slightly. "Sure as I live and die." He gestured with a hoof. "A bunch of elders who've seen her can confirm, if you doubt."
"... ... ..." Sarda stared up at the earth and soil forming a roof to the tunnel. "What's she doing right now?"
"Entreating the crowd," Kayman said. "Asking for the village leader to show. Sarda, she's not going to wait forever."
Sarda gulped. "And neither will we." He pointed. "Get your flank to Steamfall. On the double. No time to waste."
"But—"
"I mean it!" Sarda scampered off to the nearest ladder. "Go! I'll take care of this!"
"You think you can actually pull the rug out from under Seraphimus? That griffon has horror stories written about her!"
"Let me worry about me," Sarda said climbing up to the surface. "We have more riding on this than even the Talon can imagine."
Kayman stood alone, shuddering. Gnashing his teeth, he galloped off and called into a few branching alcoves, summoning a pair of stallions to join him. Not long after, they made their way into the northern passages.
"With the authority granted me by the Council of Verlaxion—empowered by the Goddess herself—I, Commander Seraphimus, and the rest of the Talon have arrived to conduct a search of these premises!" Seraphimus pivoted about, her vaporous breaths coming out in loud salvos, chasing the falling snowflakes away. "We have reason to believe that the national enemy to Rohbredden interests—the Rainbow Rogue—is hiding here within Braum! Evidence shows that she was carried away from her last known location and brought here to this township!"
One by one, ponies poured up out of the turf houses sunk in the snowy earth.
Nervous young couples clung to one another, their eyes glued on the Commander in her silver armor.
Elders lingered at the front stoops to taverns, smoking their pipes and squinting inquisitively.
Rosy-nosed traders paused in their snowy huddles, turning to gawk at the griffon.
Families and foals peered up from the windows of their houses, shivering slightly in anxious confusion.
"As loyal citizens of Ivory Prefecture... as Tribal members of Rohbredden... you are bound by your oath to Goddess Verlaxion's sanctity and the defense of Her blessed lands! This town must be searched, and all those who live and do business here are charged with assissting the Talon with complete cooperation!" Seraphimus charcoal eyes scraped across the breathless crowd. "I ask this one more time! Allow me an audience with your village leader, so that we may properly establish a way that we can undergo this process as swiftly and painlessly as possible for every citizen present!"
The villagers gazed at one another, murmuring worriedly.
Seraphimus observed them with scrutinous hawkeyes.
Sw-Swooosh! Keris and Starstorm touched down beside her.
"Well, Commander?" Keris leaned in, following her line of sight until it made contact with the equine faces. "How does it look? Do they know?"
"Hard to say..." Seraphimus took a deep breath as she murmured aside. "...they're not pleased to see us. That's for certain."
"Can't imagine they're pleased to see anything," Starstorm remarked, shivering slightly. "Living here is almost as masochistic as living in the Quade."
"Think again, Sergeant," Keris droned. His eyes darted to the right, and he pointed. "There, Commander."
Seraphimus followed his claw. She watched as Sarda marched up from the center of town. "The village leader...?"
"By my estimation." Keris nodded. "Yes."
"He's so..." Starstorm blinked. "...young."
"Survival is tougher this far north," Keris murmured. "Those who dwell here make their exoduses to the Spring Havens at an unpredictable pace."
"Are you attempting to win sympathy for those who've harbored the Rainbow Rogue, Lieutenant?" Seraphimus muttered.
"No, Commander." Keris shook his head. "But it does help to get in their headspace." He glanced briefly at her. "Unlike the ponies in Steamfall, these villagers aren't directly connected to Frostknife by a corporate chain. I'd say they're more in touch with desperation than the Council of Verlaxion."
"There've been no terrorist attacks this deep in Ivory Prefecture," Seraphimus muttered.
"Not that we know of," Keris said. His words quickened the closer that Sarda approached. "You don't have to live on a Barge in order to deal with the uglier shades of this world."
Seraphimus sighed out her beak nostrils. "...this is going to be inordinately delicate."
"Glad you understand, Commander." Keris cleared his throat and leaned away from her.
At last, Sarda stood before the three griffons. His speech was just as deliberately slow as his arrival. "I'm Sarda, head community organizer of Braum." He squinted at the guardians. "You wish to see me?"
"Are you familiar with the Rainbow Rogue, Mr. Sarda?" Seraphimus spoke. "An enemy of the state, wanted for atrocities committed in the Quade and beyond?"
"I've... heard that the Council is chasing after some fruity-looking pegasus. Yeah. What of it?"
"What of it?!" Starstorm scoffed. She waved a clawed gauntlet. "You have posters of her sticking to half of your buildings—"
"Sergeant," Keris chided, silencing her.
"No doubt you saw them from your univited circling of our township," Sarda said, frowning. "I don't know what your business is here in Braum, griffons, and I frankly don't care." He adjusted his coat and exhaled. "But we are all miners... traders... and farmers here. None of which even remotely qualify as 'criminal.'"
Seraphimus nodded. "That may be so, but we have evidence that our prey is being held here in your village."
"What kind of evidence?"
Keris took a step forward. "About a mile and a half southwest of here, along the northern fringe of Stone Prefecture, the body of the Rainbow Rogue ended up at a camp... a camp that was swiftly abandoned within hours of the Talon's arrival. Tracks show that a group of twenty or so ponies led her directly to this town. It's more than likely that she's hiding within one of your structures."
"Well, you may wish to go back to griffon academy or wherever you earned your medals." Sarda waved a hoof. "Because obviously you're mistaken. There is no strange pegasus being held here."
"We never said she was being held here," Keris remarked. "Nevertheless, the evidence that brought us to this town necesitates that we search the premises in order to ascertain her true location."
"And I'm telling you, she's not here." Sarda tried to glare, but swiftly found himself overshadowed. He couldn't help but take a jittery step back.
"... ... ..." Seraphimus' charcoal eyes peered out from the shade of her helmet as she stood above him. "That... will be up to us to determine. As it will be up to you to decide whether the actions of you and your fellow villagers remain either 'cooperative' or 'treasonous' in the wise scrutiny of the Council."
Keris' eyes darted over to Seraphimus.
Starstorm watched quietly.
Sarda took a deep breath, glaring back at her. "We're all on the same side, aren't we, guardian?"
Seraphimus nodded. "Indeed we are... or so I would hope."
Sarda took a breath. "Very well. You may conduct your search."
"That is very much appreciated—"
"But..." Sarda raised a hoof. "I wish to be present in all instances."
Seraphimus sighed. She looked back at Keris.
Keris cleared his throat, then smiled. "That can certainly be arranged."
"Very well." Sarda turned and shouted towards the crowd. "Everypony! Return to your homes! Stay there and obey every command given to you by the Talon! There is a fugitive about and they need our cooperation in making sure she's not hiding in our midst!"
Keris shuffled closer to Seraphimus. Eyes on Sarda, he leaned in and murmured: "Commander, I could have sworn that a few minutes ago you gave me your word—"
"And I apologize, Lieutenant, but my patience was running thin."
"Something tells me we aren't the only ones suffering from that," Keris said, eyes on the crowd. "Do you believe anyone in this town for one second?"
"Not even remotely."
"We'll have to play this safe. Let's allow him to think he's still in charge."
"Agreed. And Lieutenant?"
"Yes, Commander?"
"... ... ...please do the speaking from here on out."
Keris smiled slightly. "As you wish, Seraphimus."