By the end of the day, Valanandir was stumbling from fatigue and the pain of his throbbing ankle. The light was fading to that deepening red he was starting to connect with the coming darkness. He looked up to realize they had reached the edge of the forest. The trees thinned, giving way to the open grassland beyond. Valanandir could make out the rolling hills of Vila Eadros in the distance. Until now, they had only been a name on a map to him. After being in the woods for so long, the absence of trees seemed strange and discomforting.
“What now?” he asked as Iadrawyn appeared at his side. She seemed lost in thought, her eyes fixed on their destination. He gently touched her arm to get her attention.
She turned her green gaze to him, startled from her reverie. “We make camp in the forest for one more night.”
“Is that wise?”
“We won’t make it very far before it gets dark. There is no place to hide out there and I am not familiar with the area. The fewer nights we spend out in the open, the better.” Her brow creased in a frown.
“What is it?”
“I don’t have a shelter nearby. I have never come this close to the eastern border before.” She looked up as she spoke, scanning the trees.
“They will probably double their efforts to find us after coming up empty handed last night,” Valanandir said. “Where can we hide?”
Iadrawyn met his gaze. “Can you climb?”
Light Chasers (The World of Lasniniar Book 0) Page 16