Behast had finished off his ogre, and came over to me. “You fought well,” he said. I clenched my hand to stop it from shaking. He stretched his ogre-blood-stained hand towards me. The black blood stuck to him like honey. I nodded, taking his hand, and he pulled me to my feet. I put my hand to my side and stretched to see if my body worked properly. Except for a few bumps and bruises, I was fine. We walked over to where Demay lay.
“Fight it, little brother,” Prastian said, leaning over him and checking his body with a gentle touch. “Please, wake up.” Demay was in far worse shape than any of us. Pale green blood trickled from his mouth, and his breathing was erratic. He looked as if he might have injured his spine when he hit the tree.
“How bad is it?” Behast asked.
“Bad.” Prastian said. “I think it’s internal. I need some herbs or a good healer, but it’s too far for either of those right now. I’m afraid we won’t make it to Sharald in time.”
“Let me try,” I said. I reached into my purse and pulled out one of the stabilizing potions. “Give him this.”
Prastian didn't hesitate. He poured the translucent liquid into Demay’s mouth, and Prastian leaned over until he heard Demay's steady, rhythmic breathing. “Thank you. How long until he’s better?”
“I’m not sure. It’s designed to keep the person alive until proper help can be found.” I almost offered to try to heal Demay, until I thought about all the times I had practiced using white mana. It was very elusive and difficult to use, and if I messed up, things could get worse. Plus, I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone I could perform magic.
“I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to him.” Prastian started to pick up his brother.
“Let me,” Behast said. “I’m much stronger than you, and can make the journey back to Sharald without any loss of speed.”
“Thank you, my friend. Hellsfire, if you don’t have important matters to attend to, you should come with us to Sharald.”
I thought about his offer. I had always wanted to see Sharald. While it lay to the north, in the general direction I headed, it would still be a couple of days out of my way. I needed to reach Alexandria and see if the princess was all right. The elves’ stories of the Wasteland creatures filtering into Northern Shala had made me even more worried about her. I was going to tell him no, but then I realized that the thought of going to Sharald gave me no headaches or nosebleeds. While traveling, I had occasionally had thoughts of going to see my mother, but every time I did, the pain struck me. There was no pain now.
I decided to trust my instincts and go to Sharald. Since the elves were Alexandria’s closest neighbors, they would have more information about what was going on. If Alexandria had fallen, they would know.
“I’ll go,” I said.
“Good,” Prastian said. “Then let's leave.”
We ventured deeper into the forest. Prastian led the way, Behast followed, and I trailed. The two moved fast and with ease, even in the dark. It was hard to keep up with them. I made enough noise to wake the whole forest, while they barely made a whisper.
Because of the ogres, and what the elves had said about seeing other Wasteland creatures, my eyes constantly darted around, alert for an attack. The elves did the same thing, but with their ears. I carried mana with me, hovering near the surface, ready to be released.
We reached Sharald as the sun rose and the early morning mist faded.
----
Some said the elves were birthed from the forest. I almost believed it when I saw them. They startled me, appearing without warning out of the oak and maple trees surrounding the city. They eyed me warily as they talked to Prastian in the elf tongue. I had a feeling there were more guards in the trees, but try as I might, I couldn't see them. Their green skin blended in perfectly with the leaves. They also wore brown tunics to match the bark of the thick trunks and branches. I lowered my guard only when Prastian took leave of the sentry posts and guards and we were let into the city of Sharald.
I had heard stories of Sharald when I was younger, but seeing it was something else. The huge city was literally at one with the forest. The elves built most of their homes and some shops in the trees. The foliage decorated and covered the airy buildings. Some were even built in the trunks of the larger trees. Long wooden bridges connected the buildings. They looked thin and insubstantial, but the elves seemed at home on the swaying structures as they went about their daily duties, carrying bundles and supplies across them with ease. Elf children ran across the bridges as if they were on the ground, or simply swung from branch to branch.