After he heard Wren’s orders, Raven moved back to point and motioned for everyone to start moving again. He led them on a different course as he headed for the marsh entrance. They hurried for several miles before Paige and Sara were both lagging behind. Wren and Jaeha noticed and dropped back. They each took one of them by the hand without a word and pulled them along with them. The girls shared uncomfortable glances.
“Why don’t we carry them like before?” Jake whispered when he walked up to Wren.
“We cannot afford for those of us who can fight to be fatigued before a battle even begins. They must keep up on their own.”
Jake frowned as he glanced at the girls. He could see they were both unhappy, but he knew Wren was right. It was a risk they could not take. He looked at Sara and gave her an apologetic shrug, there was nothing he could do. A strained smile flashed across her face. She was very uncomfortable with Wren holding her hand.
A short while later they reached the edge of the forest. Raven was skirting along the edge when he dropped into a sudden crouch. The others followed suit and waited. A few seconds passed before a group of four dark elves walked by where they were hiding. Raven watched them pass before he slipped silently out of the bushes behind them. His daggers appeared in his hands and he killed all four of them before they had a chance to reach for their weapons. Without pausing he dragged their bodies into the bushes to hide them. Once they were out of sight, he returned to the group. He moved to motion them forward when he noticed the unsettled, shocked look on Paige’s face. She had seen him kill orcs before, but not with the same precision and deadly accuracy he just used. It only took him seconds with nothing but his daggers, his katana was still strapped to his back. He tilted his head before sadness crossed his face. Without a word, he turned and led them out of the forest.
They crept across the open flat land between the forest and the marsh edge as quick as Sara and Paige could manage. When they finally reached the entrance the first rays of the sun were beginning to peek over the mountains. They got onto the platform and crouched down so they were less visible from a distance.
Wren moved over to Kaedin and put his hand on his sister’s forehead to dispel the sleep spell. He closed his eyes, “Dūkāerav.” Before he could pull his hand back, she jerked awake. Her eyes were filled with confusion when she looked up at him.
“What...?” She trailed off when she realized she was mummified with a blanket. She glanced toward Kaedin, annoyance visible on her face. He set her on her feet, and she shrugged out of the blanket. “What is going on?”
“Londar slipped a tracking stone in your pocket. Kaedin found it,” Wren said. “They track us now.”
Rin shivered when her brother said Londar’s name and forced herself to look around. She got her bearings while her brother filled her in on the rest of what happened.
“I am pleased to hear it was not my carelessness that allowed him to find us,” she said, her voice angry when her brother finished. “Why did you not wake me before now?”
“You were in need of rest,” Wren said.
Rin narrowed her eyes and glanced at Kaedin. He was keeping his attention away from her when he could sense she was not pleased. She pressed her lips together with a frown before she turned back to their surroundings. It only took her a few minutes to come up with a plan to slow the pursuit of Londar and the dark elves.
“If I set runes along the platform and the marsh edge, I can cause the waters to rise. It would conceal the path and they would be trapped until the waters receded.”
Wren glanced up when he heard a distant howl of a dog. “How long?”
“With Raven’s assistance, ten minutes.” She watched her brother while he appeared to be determining the best course of action.
“Do it,” he said. “However, you must be quick.”
Rin turned to walk off the platform and Raven followed until Paige’s loud voice caused them all to flinch.
“Why does he have to go?” She asked, her eyes not leaving Rin. When no one answered her, she folded her arms with a scowl. “Why?”
Raven drifted toward her. “This is the job that I perform with the riders.” His face was confused as he tried to figure out what was wrong.
“No one else can do it? You’ve already done two crazy things. It’s dangerous.” She put her hands on her hips when she had to look up to see his face. His eyebrows rose when he realized what the real issue was, and he glanced at Rin.
“Quickly,” she said, her voice flat before she disappeared off the platform. She started to set runes while he turned back to Paige.
“This is nothing,” he said with a smile. “We are all enjoying ourselves. Nothing dangerous has been done yet.”
Paige’s mouth dropped open until she saw the grin on his face. She punched him on the arm when she realized he was messing with her. “That’s not funny.”
He chuckled, “I shall be fine.” Another grin crossed his face and Paige could not help but roll her eyes. He had a special knack for making her feel better. When he saw that her mood had improved, he leaned down and kissed her forehead.
“Be careful,” she whispered. He gave her a confident smile before he hurried after Rin. Paige just shook her head and walked back over to Jake and Sara. She ignored the less than pleased look on her brother’s face while they waited.
They did not wait long before Rin and Raven returned. As soon as they did, Rin led them off the platform and into the marshes. The path forward was treacherous. Large pools of water surrounded them, and any false step could cause you to sink, in an instant, neck deep in thick mud. Rin chose the path forward without any hesitation or missteps. They managed to traverse several miles before a sudden commotion caused them all to look back. A large group of dark elves were sprinting across the plains. The flat terrain made it possible to see for many miles in every direction.
“Keep moving,” Rin said, her voice calm. “If they do not know the correct path, they shall never make it through.” She continued forward at the same steady pace. They traveled for several hours with the dark elves in pursuit. The runes only delayed them by an hour or so. Rin slowed the pace again when they came upon the beginning of the delta system for the river that was fed by Lake Kiyoyaema. She surveyed the area before picking the correct path. This was the most complicated portion of the journey. The river and its branches made the way forward even more difficult to traverse.
She led them to the edge of the first offshoot from the main river when she stopped. A low rumbling sound drew her attention in the direction of the lake. Her face paled when she saw the thick, dark storm clouds on the horizon above the lake. The rumbling sound grew louder by the second and she looked down at her feet. The water was rising, and her breath caught in her throat. Her gaze flew back upstream, and she saw the river rising in a flash flood.
“Flood,” she yelled as she spun around. She watched as Wren and Raven got a firm grip on Paige and Sara since they were closest to them. Rin looked away from them and her eyes met with Kaedin’s. He was near the middle of the group, but he made a quick leap in her direction. She reached her hand out to him just as the flood waters slammed into them. Their fingers brushed before she disappeared as the waters dragged them all downstream.
Jake was knocked off his feet when the flood waters crashed into him. He struggled to get back to the surface and was forced to let go of all the bags he was carrying. They were dragging him down. While the water tossed him around, he got the backpack off his back and swam hard for the surface. As soon as his head broke the surface, he took several deep, gasping breaths to catch his breath. He fought with the current while he scanned the waters. Before he got washed downstream, he saw that Kaedin had been unable to get to Rin before the waters hit. He remembered that she could not swim.
A sudden flash of a hand above the water caused him to look over and he caught a glimpse of Rin not far from him. She struggled to get back to the surface but could not make it on her own. Without hesitating,
he swam hard in her direction and managed to get a grip on the back of her vest before she could sink further. He pulled hard and got her head above the surface. She started gasping and coughing as soon as her face was out of the water, but she only managed to get small gasps of air. Jake hooked his arm under hers and returned his attention to keeping them afloat in the rough water. They were washed miles off their original course before the flood waters began to subside.
“Are you okay?” Jake asked when they came to stop on a rocky beach. She only nodded while she continued to cough. He let go of her as he searched the beach for the others. Relief coursed through him when he saw Wren and Sara walking onto the beach, the waters had washed them into the ocean. Raven and Paige were also heading in their direction as well as Hikaru and Jaeha. Raven left his arm around Paige while they walked.
Now that Jake knew Paige and Sara were both safe, he looked back at Rin and jumped when Kaedin was just there. He had not notice him join them.
“Thank you,” Kaedin said, his voice serious while he rubbed Rin’s back.
Jake shrugged, “No problem.” He glanced up when Sara sat down next to him. Reaching over, he pulled her toward him and wrapped his arms around her. “Thank you for helping them.” He said as he looked up at Raven and Wren.
Wren bowed his head to the side in acknowledgment, “You have my gratitude for assisting my sister.”
“It’s no trouble,” Jake said as he again shrugged. It really was no big deal to him. Saving people was what he did.
Wren tilted his head before he looked at the group. “Is everyone all right?” When they all nodded, he continued, “Let us hope that has bought us some time. Hopefully, they did not fare as well as we have.” He paused, and a frown appeared on his face. “Were any of you able to keep your packs?”
“I had to let them go,” Jake said. “They were weighing me down too much.” He shifted, and his feelings of guilt appeared on his face. The majority of the supplies had been with him.
“It is not your doing,” Wren replied. “If they had been divided more adequately then perhaps, we would be in better shape, but there is no point worrying about that now. Let us search the beach before we leave.”
Everyone but Rin and Kaedin got up and searched the beach. When they were finished, they sat clustered in a small circle. They only managed to find two blankets, some ruined dried meats, one canteen, and Jake’s staff. The potions were still in their possession because they had been hooked to Rin.
“This could be problematic,” Wren said with a heavy sigh. “We are still more than a week from Caradthrad.” He looked over at Rin and frowned when he took in her appearance. Kaedin was sitting behind her so that she could lean back on him. She was still breathing a little too fast and just looked unwell.
“I am fine,” she snapped when she saw the concern on his face. “I just swallowed too much water.”
Wren’s frown deepened but he did not argue with her. “Do you know where we are?”
“I am uncertain of our exact location. I believe we shall have to follow the coast until we make it passed the marshes. The paths would be unrecognizable after the flood.”
“We should get moving,” Wren said as he stood up. “We only give our pursuit a chance to catch us by remaining here.”
Everyone was reluctant to get up and start moving. Even the elves and dragons were tired and in need of rest. When they were all back on their feet they looked to Rin to lead them. She glanced at them before she shook her head.
“Raven will take point.”
Raven’s eyes widened in surprise and he hesitated before he bowed his head. “Yes, my lady.” He turned and led them across the beach closer to the ocean. The trudging through the sandy, rocky terrain was difficult, but it was safer than getting too close to the marsh’s edge.
Rin folded her arms across her chest while she walked. Kaedin glanced over at her when she moved and could see that she was shivering. It was a chilly morning. He moved closer and put his arm around her shoulders.
“I have nothing dry to give you,” he whispered when he pulled her against his side.
She sighed before she glanced up at the sky. The bright sun that had been shining moments before was being covered by clouds moving in from the south. “I pray these storm clouds do not make it worse.”
He glanced up when she mentioned the clouds and a frown became fixed on his face. The wind was picking up and the dark, menacing clouds were growing closer.
“It shall be a miserable day,” he mumbled as he tightened his arm around her shoulders. She did not say anything as they continued to walk. It was not long before the temperature began to drop as the storm drew closer. The faint smell of rain came when the winds blew harder.
Jake looked up when he heard the sound of approaching rain on the ground. A grimace crossed his face when he realized they were going to get rained on. He glanced over at Sara and noticed she was shivering from the winds. Stepping closer to her, he put an arm around her and drew her closer so that he could block some of the wind.
“We need to find shelter,” Jake said. “The girls are going to get hypothermic if we don’t get them warm soon.”
Wren frowned when Jake used the unfamiliar word, but the rains caught up with them before he could ask what it meant. The water flowed down his face causing his frown to deepen as he glanced at Jake. “There is nothing,” he said, his voice short. “All we can do for now is keep moving.” Without another word, he spun and started moving again. Jake gave him a dirty look before he shook his head. This was miserable.
It was nearing midday when Raven called a stop and they all huddled together as they took a short break. Wren observed them one by one before he sighed.
“If I am correct we should be nearing the Yakutori Plains,” he began as he wiped water off his face. “I believe we must make for Saelyris. We have been knocked so far off course that the detour should not add much time.” He paused and glanced at his sister and Sara. “It would be unwise to keep them outside in the rains overnight. The temperature shall only drop further.”
“How far is it from here?” Jake asked, his arm still around Sara while he rubbed her arm with his other hand, trying to warm her up.
“Another half a day if we maintain the same pace,” Raven said when Wren looked to him for the estimate. Jake only nodded before he looked at Sara and Paige. He could tell they were both exhausted.
“Is it safe to go to a city if people are searching for you?” Jake asked looking back at Wren. The elf regarded him for several moments before he sighed again.
“No, it is not, but I do not see what choice we have in our current situation.” Wren stood up and motioned for them all to get up. “We do not have time to delay.”
Raven took the led again and varied their course. They traveled the rest of the day in the cold, pouring rains before the lights of Saelyris could be seen. The small port town was the only place that ships could make berth. Its two huge docks stretched almost half a mile out to sea and there were massive ships tethered along both sides. The town itself was built on several platforms fifteen feet above the surface of the ground. It was supported by massive evenly spaced logs.
Raven stopped when they reached a section of the grass that was unusually tall. He knelt down so that they would be concealed from curious eyes. Everyone looked to Rin and Wren for their plan. Wren straightened fully so that he could see the town in the distance. He could just make out the two city guards in front of the main gates.
“We cannot approach. They would recognize us at once,” he said with a frown. “Our best course of action is to send Jacob into the city to procure a room an--.”
“He knows nothing of our currency or customs,” Rin interrupted. “They shall be suspicious of him as soon as they hear him speak.”
Wren’s face darkened with disapproval. “I am aware, but this is our only option and we must get you and Sara out of the rains. You are both freezing.”
Rin gave him a dirty
look but fell silent. She knew her brother was correct.
“What do I need to do?” Jake asked drawing their attention to him.
“You shall go into the city and procure a room in the cities’ tavern or inn, whichever has space available. Once you do, you will need to signal us so that we may sneak into the city and hide in the room. In order for us to remain out of sight, we need your assistance.”
Jake peeked at Saelyris through the blades of grass. “Which building is the inn and tavern?”
Wren gave him a layout of the main road of the town before he pulled a few coins from his pocket. He sighed when he looked them over. “This is not much, but it should suffice.”
“Those are qlaesdin coins,” Rin interrupted again. “Humans use pliqini. It would draw attention to him as soon as he tried to use the coins. Humans do not carry elven currency.” She grimaced when she saw the look of irritation on her brother’s face. “Though, I suppose if that is all we have he must use it.”
“As I was saying,” Wren said, his voice short. “This should suffice for a room for one night. Once we finish determining a plan, I shall explain the coins before you head for the city.” He paused and looked up at the sky. The rains were coming down harder than before and it was causing him to become more irritated. “When you enter the inn, or the tavern, be cautious, and you must be mindful of what you say. They will expect you to be foolish and slow. Do your best to appear less intelligent and more subservient. It shall draw attention if you do not.” Wren paused and looked over at Sara. He tilted his head before he continued, “I believe it would be wise if you took Sara with you. Even though her hair will draw attention, it is uncommon for humans to travel alone and I do not think sending your sister would be the best choice.”
Jake nodded in agreement. He knew Paige would never be able to play along and if someone insulted her, she would react to it without thinking. After getting Jake’s approval, Wren handed him the coins and explained what each one was worth. Jake stared at them when he was finished and tried to commit everything Wren told him to memory. Each of the coins had the same symbol stamped into the surface. He recognized it as the willow tree symbol he had seen on the flags in Nuenthras. Turning them over in his hand, he looked at each one closer. The only difference between them was the size.
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