War Of The Wildlands(78)

The mages continued pounding the forest relentlessly. Fires were burning throughout the forest, and giant limbs were snapped from the trees. In a show of force, the mages concentrated their fire to uproot a massive conifer which shook the earth as it fell. As the giant roots were ripped from the ground, dirt and rocks flew all around the Na’zoran army. The soldiers raised their arms to shield their eyes from the dust.

Domren signaled the army to move ahead. The mages were beginning to tire and had already been consuming potions to replenish their magical stores. Soon, they would all be useless. Magefire was a powerful weapon, but it had its limits.

Aelryk’s troops moved ahead first. If he could find the elves before his father’s men, perhaps he could negotiate Lisalla’s release. As they moved into the woods, Aelryk could barely make out the figure of Mi’tal riding next to him through the haze of smoke filling the air. The men began to choke and cough on the thick, polluted air. The massive amount of debris on the ground was making passage difficult for the horses. They moved slowly, attempting to take careful steps, but many of them were still tripping and unbalancing their riders.

“We can’t continue like this, my lord,” Mi’tal called to the prince.

Aelryk held up a hand, signaling his men to halt. He knew Mi’tal was right, but his heart ached to continue forward. Somewhere in this forest was Lisalla, assuming she was still alive. “Perhaps I could go on alone and speak with the elves,” he said.

“I wouldn’t recommend it,” Mi’tal said, coming closer to the prince. “I don’t think they’re going to be in a talking mood after that attack.”

Sighing, Aelryk said, “You’re probably right.” He looked forward into the forest, hoping that Lisalla was safe and well somewhere among the trees. “Let’s get back to the king.” Turning their horses, the men moved out of the woods.

Domren rode forth as the prince emerged from the trees. “What’s the problem?” he asked impatiently.

“You can’t see an inch in front of your face in there,” he said. “We’ll be slaughtered if we try to follow those elves.”

“If they made it through the smoke, so can you,” the king protested.

“They can smell every branch in those woods. They know it by heart, and they don’t need their eyes to navigate it. Maybe you should learn a thing or two about your enemy.”

Domren glared at the prince. Turning his horse, he rode back to his troops. “General Luca,” he called. “We’ve given them enough to think about for today. Let’s get back to the palace.”

The army began to move out, leaving the elves to their ruined forest. Aelryk took one last look over his shoulder, taking in the destruction. Where once had stood a tall, proud evergreen forest was now a burning pile of rubble. Hoping the destruction had not spread too far into the woods, he led his troops homeward. Once again, he had failed to find Lisalla and bring her to safety. He vowed never to fail her again.





Chapter 46




Fires raged all around as the elves fled deeper into the forest. The smoke was too thick to navigate by sight, but the elven scouts of the Mulberry Clan knew this forest by heart. Only a few hours away, their village lay in ruins. The elven army made its way through the evergreens to a dense deciduous forest. If the Na’zorans were in pursuit, they would have difficulty traversing the thick underbrush of these woods. Only the light-footed elves dared to enter this forest.

At the edge of the woods, they rejoined the small group of elves that had stayed behind. Lisalla was among them, her head bowed and her heart heavy. She had refused to speak or eat since Danna’s death, and she had sworn to escape at the first opportunity. No longer caring whether she survived, she decided that dying alone in the wild would be preferable to a senseless death at the hands of an angry elf. At the very least, she would die knowing she had tried to save herself. She did not intend to die weeping.

“This looks like a good place to stop,” Essa said as they reached a dense grove of trees. “If they’re behind us, we will have the most cover here.”

For the next several hours, scouts came and went as they patrolled each direction in search of the Na’zoran army. There was no indication that they had been followed, and the sun was fading fast. As darkness began to overtake the forest, the elves settled in for the night.

“They must not have been able to make it through the mess they created,” Reylana commented.

“They should be ashamed of themselves for damaging such a beautiful section of forest,” Sal said. “Do these humans have any care for nature?”