“I’d say she’s Silver Birch by the look of her. She’s wearing one of those shell bracelets their women like so much.” Reylin pointed to the bracelet, which had only a few shells left and was caked in blood.
“I don’t think I can help her,” Doni said. “This head wound is beyond repair. I’ve given her some herbs to ease her pain, but I have no medicine to heal this type of damage. I’d say she was struck with a hammer from a moving horse. Obviously, the blow was offset and not enough to kill her instantly. That probably would have been easier for the poor girl.”
“I’ll carry her inside your hut,” Reylin said. He scooped the woman up once more and proceeded to the healer’s hut. At least there she would be more comfortable, even if her wounds proved fatal.
Reylana waited outside the hut, her face wet from tears. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take,” she said as Reylin emerged.
“That’s why we have to keep fighting,” he replied. His anger was growing, and she knew he was ready to fight this very moment.
“We have to stick to the plan, Reylin,” she said, laying a hand on his arm. “We attack tomorrow as it is. Let’s get something to eat and try not to think about it for now.”
They joined their friends at the center of the village. Most of them were enjoying the ale and discussing the following day’s raid.
“How’s the girl?” Essa asked.
“Not good,” Reylana replied. “Doni doubts that she will live. Do you think we should send someone to their village to see if anyone else is alive?”
“I doubt it’s safe,” Essa replied. “The humans have probably left troops behind.”
“There won’t be many, and they won’t be expecting us,” Reylin said.
“That’s true,” Essa said. “I guess a few of us could go and have a look.”
“You stay here,” Reylin said. “I’ll take some archers with me. Who wants to come?” he asked, turning to the men. Several of them raised their hands. “Let’s get going then,” he said. They set out in the direction of the Silver Birch village.
Reylana fixed herself a plate of elk meat with raspberry sauce and sat down next to Essa. “I worry about Reylin,” she began. “He never stops for a moment. All he does is obsess about revenge against the humans. I want that too, of course, but I think his judgment is clouded by his anger.”
“The death of your parents was difficult for him,” Essa replied. “It’s natural for him to want revenge.”
“Yes, but we have to go about it the right way,” she began. “He doesn’t think things through, and the men follow him without question. He’s going to get himself killed, I fear.”
“We’re all likely to get killed,” Essa pointed out. “This war will most likely continue until we’re all dead. The humans won’t stop coming unless we kill their king. Then we have to hope the new king isn’t as bad, which he probably will be. It’s hopeless, but we have to fight back. I won’t sit by and watch our homes be taken without a fight.”
Reylana nodded and remained silent. She finished her meal and waited impatiently for her brother to return.
After a few hours, Doni emerged from his hut with the sad news that the woman had passed away. “She is a part of the forest now,” he said. “I’ll be in my hut should the scouts return with more injured.”
It was nearly sunset before Reylin and his troops returned. They brought no survivors with them, but they did carry some equipment they had taken off of the slain soldiers. The Na’zorans had left behind a small group of fifteen guards to finish off any wounded elves and search for information on upcoming raids. They were fools to leave behind so few. Reylin’s men had killed them all and taken their weapons and armor.
“Before I killed one of them, I asked why they were digging through piles of rubble. He said they were searching the burned-out huts for information on raids.” Reylin broke out laughing. “Why would we be stupid enough to write such things down? That must be what humans do. Whatever is written can be stolen and read by others.”
“I wish we still had a rune carver,” Reylana remarked as she sorted through the weapons. “I wonder if the Sycamore Clan still has one. They’re the nearest now that the Silver Birch are scattered or dead.”
“There weren’t enough bodies around for them to be wiped out,” Reylin replied. “They’ve gone into hiding somewhere. They’ll either show up here or start again elsewhere. I doubt they’ll rebuild for now, but we’ll probably encounter them somewhere in the forests.”