Nightfall Perimeter

Dusk rolled in, thickening the shadows around the concrete base. The footbridge I laid earlier held fast against the street's vibrations, but the open gutter still pulled an icy draft. I needed a windbreak. In the gravel beside my inverted brass cap, I found a discarded thick cardstock label from a garment, soaked stiff and dried into an arch. I braced my shoulder against its curved cardboard flank, rolling it flush against the planter seam. Anchored each corner with two wet river pebbles from the mudline. The draft broke instantly. Back against the rough masonry, sword resting across my knees. The perimeter is fortified for the night watch.