There was nothing for it since the cross bolts were down, so Arya and the team around her charged. The treekin archers at the temple heard this and recognized that no more bolts were coming at them. They began picking off Zon soldiers with their backs to them. Nymeria took a couple of leaps and reached the northeast edge of the Zon group. She howled, and the Zon fighters were frozen for several moments. What was happening here? Even the city treekin were shocked at that sound, but from the temple it was clear the wolf's enemy was the Zon, so they cheered and doubled their attacks.
At almost the same time, Jack and Drena charged out from behind a building to the southwest and cut a path through the Zon attackers on that side. Bronn at the lead on Arya's group met the back line like a scythe through grass. The Zon mage stood up to defend himself, and the younger Mangana put a bolt through his chest. He slid back down the tree into a pool of his own blood. Brienne chopped through the side of the line in Bronn's wake, and Arya stabbed and countered as the enemy dead piled up. Out came the younger Mangana's curved daggers, and the enemy kept falling.
Nymeria was shredding throats and snarling at the enemy near her, and then the Caelan lead treekin flowed in behind her, finishing wounded Zon and drawing the few left to them. Nymeria leaped towards where she had heard Arya, and suddenly the counterattack from 4 directions had narrowed to 10 stalwarts in the center around the Zon Lieutenant. Bronn slashed one at the back line, Nymeria knocked down two, killing one, and Brienne engaged the two left on that side of the small circle. The treekin on the temple steps took heart and charged down to meet the ones closest to them. Bronn stepped into the circle and engaged the Lieutenant. The Lieutenant was a skilled and fierce fighter. He attacked Bronn with all the anger stored up from watching this happen to his men. He drove Bronn back at every counter, even tricks failed to unsettle him. Bronn sweated as he fought and drove at the man harder and harder. Finally, he had an opening and cut off both the man's legs from under him. When Bronn looked around, the fighting was done, and the treekin all cheered.
Aziraphale, the commander of the city troops, hugged Caelan, and they all went into the temple except Nymeria, who stalked around the city looking for leftover Zon she could dispatch. Elanor, the queen of the treekin nation and Calancy's mother, sat up and thanked the counter attackers with great dignity, even though she was wounded. She saw her brother was among them and shouted for joy. She asked after Calancy, and, finding out she was well and aboard ship, tears streamed down her face. Caelan translated to the group her words, then, "Truly, you have saved us and brought joy to a beleaguered people. The news that my brother and my daughter have been saved by you Easterners puts me in your debt in a way so deep that it might be beyond understanding." Arya approached her and hugged her deeply, telling her in Treekin, "Calancy is safe and has been a dear friend for many months since she was found drifting. She will be waiting for you on the ship now. We are glad to have been of help and will do whatever we can for the treekin peoples."
Nymeria bounded into the room to the shock of the unknowing treekin, but Arya hugged the dire wolf and introduced her to the treekin. Nymeria approached and sniffed Elanor. She sat down and licked Elanor's face, recognizing Calancy's smell on her. Elanor laughed like she hadn't laughed in weeks.
Bart and many crew members carried in food and drink for the tired combatants. They set up tables, and vegetables and meats were shared by all. The treekin defenders hadn't really eaten in two days. Calancy ran in and shouted at her mother, diving into her arms, then realizing her mother was wounded, she stepped back politely. There was great happiness among all the treekin, but it was tempered with even greater loss.
Over the next week, straggling survivors from the other cities and towns across the Treekin homeland filtered in. They spoke of utter destruction and of many being clapped into chains and carried off by Zon ships. They had what treasures they could save, scrolls and heirlooms of their cities with them. But they told of a raging fire in the north-west that would consume the treekin homeland completely. The winds were driving it toward them, and it would soon be here. The treekin realized they would all have to leave their history and lands behind, and they totaled less than a thousand souls. Elanor tried to bargain with Arya over the Zon ship she had taken. Elanor wanted to use it to carry Treekin away. Arya gave the ship to her, but in the end, took a small, heavy chest of treasure for it. Caelan and the city treekin had three ships hidden nearby, and in the end 4 ships full of treekin headed out behind the Sovereign to sea.