War Of The Wildlands(40)
After the attack, the elves were in high spirits. They moved back into the forest and away from Na’zora’s border. Suddenly, Reylin heard the call of a bird that no longer existed in the Wildlands. That could only mean another clan was nearby. Responding with a similar whistle, Reylin slowly walked in the direction of the sound. The bird continued to call until Reylin was upon it. A scout descended from a branch high overhead and landed in front of him.
“Greetings, Brother,” the elf said. “I am Niko of the Mulberry Clan.”
“Reylin of the Oak Leaf Clan,” he replied. “Is your village nearby?”
“It’s a few hours north of here,” Niko said. “Our warriors have come to find you. We want to join the fighting.”
“That is good to hear.”
Niko whistled for the rest of the Mulberry Clan’s warriors to join him. Reylin was pleased to see they still had over three hundred warriors in their ranks. They would certainly be stronger now that they had joined forces.
“Do you have any idea where they will strike next?” Reylin asked.
“No, our Overseer has refused all negotiation with the Na’zorans. One member of our clan had been captured but returned home bearing a message from the prince. He claimed he wanted peace, but it was most likely a trick. One of your clan visited us and told us where we might find you. He was old and not feeling well, so he stayed behind in the village.”
“Who is protecting your village?” Reylin asked.
“We left behind a few archers. I doubt the humans could have slipped past without our knowledge. They move too loudly through the woods.”
A gnawing feeling came over Reylin. Without a decent number of warriors, the Mulberry Clan’s village would not stand a chance against an attack. “We should head for your village. Your people aren’t safe there, and we need to evacuate them across the river.”
Niko nodded his agreement, and the two companies joined ranks before heading north. Night began to fall as they reached the devastation that had once been home to the Mulberry Clan. Piles of rubble that had formerly been huts still smoldered, and the smell of death filled the air. Warriors cried out in agony as they saw their loved ones lying dead upon the earth. Solemnly, they began the grim task of placing the corpses among the trees to honor them in death.
“We should travel to the other villages and evacuate them before it’s too late,” Essa suggested. “This cannot be allowed to continue.”
“The Mountain Clan is the nearest to ours,” Niko said. “We should head that way first.”
“I’ve never been that far north,” Reylin said. “You will have to lead the way. We should stay close to Na’zora’s border, though. If they send out more soldiers, we might be able to stop them before they reach the village.”
“Agreed,” Niko said. “We can head out in the morning. It appears our Overseer was among the dead.” He shook his head. “He was my father.”
“I’m sorry,” Essa replied softly. “You must lead your people now. I can see strength in your eyes.”
He nodded and let out a long, slow breath. “I’ll do what I can. Just yesterday we were not at war. We had everything we needed, and our homes were safe. Now we must fight to keep what is ours.” He strode off into the darkness, contemplating the road ahead.
Chapter 24
Soft snow began to fall over the Sycamore village. A thin white blanket was rapidly accumulating on the forest floor. The weather, however, would not hinder Yori’s lessons.
“Take off your shoes,” Darin said to Yori.
Yori looked up, puzzled. “It’s a little cold to go barefoot, don’t you think?”
“Take them off anyway,” he replied. “You need to connect with the earth beneath your feet.”
Hesitating, Yori stared at his grandfather. Realizing that the old elf was indeed serious, he reluctantly bent down to remove his shoes. The feel of the frozen ground beneath his feet was unpleasant, and he soon felt the cold traveling up through his body.
“Now,” Darin began, “take that chisel and etch me some fire runes.”
Yori grabbed for a piece of scrap metal and began chiseling the runes he had learned for the arrow tips. After finishing the work, he showed the runes to his grandfather.
Sounding disappointed, he said, “This isn’t right. You have to concentrate more.”
Yori stared at him, not knowing how to respond. Finally, he said, “I’m freezing. What do you want me to concentrate on doing? The runes are correct, aren’t they?”
“Of course they are!” Darin shouted, losing his patience. “You mastered those the first day. Now you have to infuse them with magic. Otherwise, they’re just useless symbols.”