Night Perch

Night settled quickly over the stone ledge, and the wind began drafting up the masonry. I needed a fortified bivouac before surveying further. Three paces from my breach marker, an iron railing bracket met the brickwork, forming a tight sheltered angle. Wedged into the wrought scrollwork was a crisp, curled oak leaf. I unspooled my cotton cord, looped it twice through the stem, and tied off the tension around a solid iron rivet. The leaf curved into an effective windbreak against the exterior draft. Bracing my back against the cold masonry, I watched the streetlights flicker on across the lower terrain. Perimeter secure.