***
She stretched, feeling oddly rested and thinking it felt awfully warm for a spring night, but when she opened her eyes, she saw that it was not nighttime. ?The sun hovered brilliantly in the morning sky.
"Galath?" she called, fearing something may have happened to him.
"I'm here," said his voice from behind. ?She turned to see him lounging against a branch just a short distance from her.
"You didn't wake me," she accused, lifting herself from her hammock.
"You looked rather peaceful, and I wasn't tired. ?I didn't have the heart to bother you."
"Did anything happen?"
"Nothing that I have noticed. ?There has been nothing from the desert army and no other news from F?dla."
"Perhaps the danger has passed, and we are here for nothing," she suggested.
"Or it's the calm before the storm."
Caelfel reached for her bow, stringing it, and ran her fingers over the swan fletching of her issued arrows. Her shoulders tensed as they watched the border. ?The sun was bright, and the air was balmy. ?Caelfel couldn't determine if something was amiss of if she had already grown bored.
"Did you sleep well?" Galath asked. ?His voice sounded muted.
"Well enough. ?Do you want to sleep?"
"I don't feel the need right now. ?I may doze off later."
Caelfel laughed once. ?"That would be fine by me."
She kept her eyes diligently trained on the desert's horizon. ?Around midday, she turned to look at Galath and found him with his head resting against the tree, eyes closed and mouth slightly agape. ?She smiled at the sight of him sleeping and turned back around, rising to reposition herself.
Caelfel froze when she saw a dark mass against the landscape. ?It was the desert army nearing their position in the trees and making their way out of the mountain's shadow. ?Caelfel grabbed her bow and pulled herself onto another branch to get a closer look.
It wasn't the entire army, only a fortified group, and they were closer to F?dla's and Winwaloe's tree than their own. ?They all gave the forest a wide berth, even if it meant exposure for them.
"Galath?" Caelfel called to him softly. ?When she heard no response, she returned to his branch, placing her fingers on his cheek.
He awoke instantly. ?"What?"
She put a finger to her lips, gesturing for him to be quiet, and indicated toward the approaching soldiers.
He was alert, grabbing his bow as well. ?Caelfel pulled her quiver over her shoulder and climbed onto another limb to get a better view.
"Should we do something?" she asked.
"What can we do? ?The others knew they were coming this way, and Captain Sanddef said we're not to attack them unless they enter the forest. ?Sounding the alarm would only reveal our position."
"So we wait." ?She glanced over her shoulder at him. ?
He nodded. ?"We wait."
The battalion was making slow progress but soon they came into hearing range. ?Caelfel detected nervous mutterings rippling through them, and their eyes darted about the forest frantically. ?Then Caelfel heard the agitated growl of a beast. ?She scanned the soldiers and found one gripping a chain with a black, monstrous feline secured at the end. ?Her heart quickened.
"Is that a panther?" ?
Galath joined her on her branch, following her gaze. ?His surprise was tangible. ?"I believe so."
Then movement caught Caelfel's attention elsewhere. ?She crouched suddenly and turned her head to it.
It was a lone man, quite some distance ahead of the other soldiers and unarmored. ?He looked casually among the trees, unafraid, and felt for something in the pocket of his cloak. ?He stopped, still outside the forest and directly in front of their tree.
"Galath." ?Caelfel's breath stuck in her throat but she felt Galath's comforting presence close behind.
"Be still and wait," he whispered to her. ?"Have your bow ready, but move slowly."
Caelfel did as he said and held her breath just as the man entered the forest.
"We shouldn't attack him unless he proves to be a threat."
She gave a single, curt nod as the man walked among the trees, looking around with marked interest. ?He stopped just short of their tree and pulled something from his pocket. ?It was a smooth, black stone that rested in his palm. He held it out before him, and everyone waited with bated breath.
The stone glowed with red tendrils and it spoke with two layering voices, one apparently feminine and the other deep and magical. ?Its words seemed to shake the very air around them, and Caelfel gripped her bow for reassurance.
"And she will have the Bastard's Sword and the Lake Bow. They will be hers until she delivers them unto the Masters."
With the mention of the Lake Bow, the bow in Caelfel's hands began to glow red, matching the stone in the human's palm. ?Then suddenly and without warning, her bow began to burn Caelfel's hands. ?Instinctively, she tried to release it, but the bow stuck to her hands, and the shock made Caelfel lose her balance.
Then, she fell.
The fall was not long, the trees being shorter at the borders than in the cities, but she had dropped her bow. ?Caelfel pushed herself up enough to see that her bow had landed at the feet of the human. ?He looked at her briefly and then reached to pick it up. ?He examined it closely, feeling the weight of it in his hands.
Then, he turned to leave the forest.
Caelfel was immediately on her feet and chasing after him. ?She tried to reach him before he escaped the trees, but he was too quick for her. ?He slowed his pace once he left the forest.
Caelfel watched him walk across the treeless expanse, holding the bow her father made, and she knew she shouldn't leave the forest. ?But the warning Captain Sanddef had issued was pushed to the back of her mind, and she continued running after the man without slowing.
"Caelfel, no!" ?Galath's scream was audible, but only just.
She broke through the treeline and was nearing the man who had stolen her bow when he finally turned around to face her. There was something so unnerving about the way he looked at her that Caelfel paused.
Then something large knocked her off her feet.
Her head hit the ground, hard enough that it made her vision blur. ?She blinked furiously and a roaring panther came into focus. ?It pinned her down with its massive paws and bared its long fangs. ?Caelfel grimaced at its rancid breath that reeked of rotten flesh.
She pulled her knees up to her chest and kicked at the panther with all her strength. ?It flew over her with the thrust.
She scrambled to her feet just as the panther's leash followed its momentum. ?The metal chain clipped Caelfel on the back of the head.
She struggled to regain her balance as a thick wetness throbbed behind her ear. ?The panther had already righted itself, pacing slowly as its long tail twitched with irritation.
It charged towards her and then pounced, extending its claws as it hurtled through the air. ?Caelfel dived out of the way, rolling under it as it passed over. ?She had neither bow nor sword to brandish for her defense.
The chain passed before her face, and seeing no other alternative, Caelfel reached out to grab it. She yanked, and the panther crashed to the ground, instead of landing as it wanted. ?It recovered and stalked around in circles as far away from Caelfel as the chain allowed.
She dropped the chain when she heard a nearby horn ringing the air around them. ?She looked around to see the soldiers had all formed a circle around her and the panther, effectively trapping her.
The man who had stolen her bow walked to her, an expression of complete smugness on his face. ?Caelfel took one step back but did no more to escape from him.
"My name is Lisiek," he greeted. ?Caelfel narrowed her eyes, thinking his accent strange. "Would you be so kind and come with us?"
Caelfel crossed her arms and saw little other choice since she was staring in the face of an army.
17. Pursuit
Eviat worried about his daughter, even though Sylaera ha
d told him that Caelfel was preoccupied with Feraan. ?It was not unexpected; neither of them was blind to what was happening between their daughter and Feraan. ?Still, Sylaera had to admit to herself that she was beginning to worry as well. ?They had heard nothing from Caelfel or anything about the status of the approaching army for two days now. ?Something should have happened in that time.
Then something did happen and it came in the form of a knock at the door one evening. ?Sylaera hurried to answer it before Eviat could leave his spot in the garden to investigate.
The knock belonged to Thoroth, and he looked haggard with the look of bad news.
"What is it?" she snapped at him.
He silently handed her a letter, dressed with official, royal ribbons. ?Sylaera tore it open and read it quickly.
Then she read it again.
When she looked up at Thoroth, he apologetically shook his head.
Sylaera was always rash in her anger but not illogical. She left her home without alarming Eviat and dragging Thoroth in tow, she marched with as much dignity as any elf to Feraan's house. ?She did not even bother to concern herself with revealing its location to Thoroth.
Sylaera did not have the patience or the time for politeness. ?She did not knock but opened the door and invited herself inside. ?She saw Feraan, who was startled by her appearance, sitting at his puny desk with his insignificant books completing some menial, unimportant task.
"How can you sit there?" she demanded. ?"How can you do nothing and allow this to happen?"
Thoroth winced at her voice, but Feraan rose to meet her.
"What do you mean?" Feraan asked, matching her anger.
Wordlessly, she handed him the official letter. ?She watched him read it.
And she watched his eyes travel back to the top to read it again, this time aloud.
"Dear Master Eviat and Lady Sylaera,
We regretfully report that your daughter Caelfel has been taken while in combat. ?She is currently under the custody of Admiral Grimault of the Umfang army. ?The nature of her well-being is unknown.
Honey Water's imperial army does not have the resources to reclaim her from enemy hands. ?Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do, as the Umfang army has departed and no longer poses a threat to elvenkind. We will be withdrawing from the border in a few days' time. ?You may reclaim her personal items once the army disbands.
We send our best regards.
Captain Sanddef-"
When Feraan looked up, Sylaera saw something dark and unreadable in his eyes. ?She only saw it for a moment as he ran through his house, gathering things. ?She followed him.
"Well?" she demanded expectantly. She saw him wrapping his sword before he straightened up to answer.
"What would you have me do, Lady Gyssedlues?"
She did not flinch. ?"Find her and bring her back."
"That is exactly what I intend to do," he said through clenched teeth. ?Feraan's voice was deadly, and the cold determination in his eyes sent a shiver of fear down Sylaera's spine. ?"Even if it kills me."
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