War Of The Wildlands(61)

“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Reylana said. “I’ve never heard of any of our kind with that type of power. Shamans always focus on repairing the earth, not destroying it.”

“I’ve never encountered a mage,” Nat said with a shrug. He grinned and added, “I’m looking forward to using them for target practice, though.”

Reylana stretched out on the branch and closed her eyes. There was no need to keep watch. Even humans couldn’t be stupid enough to travel in this weather. Relaxing, she let her mind wander until she soon fell asleep. In her dreams, she saw the forests burning. Her kinsmen were dying all around her as magefire blasted through the air. As she made her way toward the mages, the ground in front of her erupted, sending dirt and dried leaves in every direction. Only gaping pits remained where once earth and trees had existed. With no other option before her, she retreated to find safety in the woods. Many elves joined her, running from all directions. Their efforts had been defeated by the mages, and the Wildlands were now destroyed. No forest would remain once the mages had finished. The elves had nowhere left to run.

She awoke in a cold sweat, the visions from her dream refusing to leave her mind. Darkness loomed all around her, but the snowfall had become lighter. Though she had never prayed before in her life, she felt the urge now. If there is truly a Goddess of the Forest, please help my people. We cannot do this alone. Immediately after thinking the words, she felt foolish. She knew that there were no magical creatures out there that were willing to help. If the elves were to survive, they needed true leadership and a damn good battle plan.

She sat up and looked over at Nat, who was fast asleep. He seemed courageous enough, having spoken out against his clan’s Overseer. Also, he had managed to convince nearly half the clan to join in the fight. She hoped he would prove wise enough to lead a group into battle, though she knew he lacked experience. She herself had not experienced battle until Na’zora declared war on her people. She had proven herself a quick learner, and so could Nat.

As dawn finally broke, the clouds separated to allow the sun to peek through the sky. The snow had ended, leaving at least ten inches behind on the ground. Today’s march would be slow as they grew ever nearer to joining the others. Reylin’s group was on the move, but she was sure she would be able to find them.

With a firm shake, she roused Nat from his sleep.

Yawning, he said, “Good morning.”

“Send some scouts out ahead. We need to figure out where Reylin’s group has gone. I’m betting he’ll be somewhere near Na’zora’s border and not too much farther north. He’ll want to stay central, I’m sure.”

Nat descended the branches to find his clansmen and dispatch the scouts. Reylana descended from the tree as well. Her mind went first to the thought of food, but all she had brought was dried meat and nuts. Not exactly a feast, but it would have to suffice for now.

One of the scouts came back within minutes of heading north. “There are elves ahead of us,” he said. “I saw tracks not a few hours old. I’d say it was a scout who turned back before he reached us.”

Reylana sighed in relief, knowing she would rejoin her brother that day. The deep snow made their journey difficult, and Reylana cursed every time she tripped over a hidden obstacle. Her legs were beginning to ache already, and she wished for some magefire to thaw her path.

Up ahead, a familiar voice called out. “Where’s my fiery-haired sister?”

“Reylin?” she called, craning her neck to see ahead.

Reylin strode her direction accompanied by a Sycamore scout. “It’s good to have you back, Sis,” he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“It’s good to be back. The snow was so thick last night I couldn’t tell where we were. I’m still not completely sure,” she admitted.

“You’re not far from our old village,” he replied. “Everything looks different in the snow.” Shaking his head, he said, “Women make terrible guides. They never know where they are.”

She punched him in the shoulder and said, “If we spent as much time goofing around in the forest pretending to hunt, we’d probably know better.”

“Oh just stick to what you know and swing your pretty sword,” he said jokingly.

Reylana smiled briefly, but her thoughts took a more serious turn. “Have we lost many of our clansmen since I left?”

“Not too many,” he replied. “Though, we have seen some battle. You’ve missed out.”

“I wouldn’t have been much use with a busted shoulder, but it’s healed now.”