“That’s a bit of good news, at least,” Reylana said. “There’s no time to get these new weapons ready for tomorrow’s raid, but maybe some of these things will serve us in the future. You better get some sleep before we head out in the morning.” She gave her brother a kiss on the cheek and said, “Sleep well.” She retreated to her own hut to rest and try to put the day’s events behind her. The morning would bring vengeance and blood.
Chapter 6
As dawn broke over the forest, Reylana and the other sword maidens were already in position. They had chosen the perfect spot just outside the farming village. A small series of rolling hills provided perfect cover where the women could not be spotted from the town itself. A light fog had settled that morning, thanks to the autumn weather, and its presence only aided the elves in their attempt at stealth. The men were stationed in the forest on the opposite end of the town, and soon they would begin the attack.
The crowing of a single rooster brought many villagers from their homes to begin the day’s work. As soon as a handful of them were in sight, Reylin signaled the attack. Arrows began to fly from the trees, none of them missing their targets. The Wild Elves were excellent archers, and they did not intend to waste many arrows today.
Villagers began fleeing back to their homes, but Reylin’s men were prepared. They had carried with them a handful of red-runed arrows which they now prepared to fire. As the arrows struck the villagers’ homes, they immediately burst into flame. The fires spread rapidly, consuming the houses within seconds. Terrified villagers rushed from their homes, heading straight for the waiting sword maidens.
Essa struck the first blow against a pudgy woman who could run surprisingly fast for her size. At Essa’s side, Reylana swung her sword as a frightened man nearly crashed into her in his flight. The archers had descended from the trees and were still taking aim at the villagers, shooting many of them in the back. Seeing that they were about to be left out of the fight, Essa signaled the women to charge into the village. Together they ran toward the remaining humans and easily cut them down. Not a single one of them had taken up arms.
Essa stayed her sword as a frightened boy ran toward her in a panic. He was screaming “mother” as he recognized the lifeless form at Essa’s feet. Without a hint of fear, he dropped to his knees at his slain mother’s side. Essa lowered her sword and stared at the boy. Suddenly, an arrow pierced the side of the child’s neck, and he slumped to the ground. Looking up, Essa could see that only Reylin still had his bow at the ready. The other archers had already begun salvaging arrows from the corpses in hopes of using them once again.
Essa strode with purpose toward Reylin, the anger obvious in her steps. “We do not kill children!” she shouted. When she reached him, she shoved him roughly, forcing him to take a single step back. Essa’s large, muscular frame gave her a more intimidating presence than most elven women. “Kill the men, fine. Kill the women, fine too. They should have armed themselves instead of running like cowards. The children have done nothing and cannot fight back. That is where we draw the line. We are not murderers.”
Reylin was unfazed by her reaction. “We have to send a message,” he replied casually. “This is no more than they’ve done to our children, and we have to be as brutal as they are. If we are soft, they will never fear us. If we’re not a threat, they’ll never leave us alone.”
“Reylin, he was only a child,” Reylana said softly, kneeling near the boy’s body.
“That child would have grown up and joined the human army. In a few years, he’d be slaughtering our kind too. You should thank me for getting rid of him.” Reylin stormed off, followed by his troop of archers. They proceeded back into the woods in the direction of their village.
“I won’t fight alongside your brother again,” Essa said to Reylana.
“We have to stick together, Essa, or we have no hope of defeating the Na’zorans.”
“I’d rather be killed than fight the way he does. I couldn’t live with myself after that.” She motioned to the boy on the ground, the grass beneath him soaked in blood.
Reylana didn’t know what else to say. She loved her brother, but she did not agree with his actions. The murder of their parents had changed him from a carefree young elf into a heartless warrior. He thought of nothing but revenge.
They returned to the village to find the men celebrating at the center of town. They all had mugs of ale and were complimenting each other on their prowess in battle. Reylin appeared to be the only one who remained sober.