The birds sounded and Noah would feel fear come from Elann as she strapped her wrist guard on. As lightning fell in the area, illuminating it, she still could not see them, but Noah grabbing at her top made that fear flare increasingly. A battle cry went out as Aimee flew into sight. Elann's timid eyes went wide at what was happening and she was stunned into a place of thought, unable to react to the darkness before her.

Darkness was the word as it was what she had told him was looming over them before. Elann knew in her heart that these men who began to storm the camp, who were illuminated by the lightning were there to murder and clean house. They hated the caravans, saw them as people who were worthy of death, they were worth less in the eyes of the bandits; no better than cattle. 

It didn't start out like that. Anger fueled them until it had consumed them. Spurned on by a stance and disagreement in the past, they grew into a mass of people who took what they wanted from the survivors of the Valterrain. Those they didn't kill were taken and things were done to them to fuel and add to that darkness. 

Elann knew if she or any of the other women were captured, great evil would come upon them. How she knew that, Elann didn't know. It was all in the outlined pattern of the trees and how the light from the fire and lightning flickered onto them, telling her the tale of their potential future as she stood there in a daze.

She came to at the sound of Noah's frantic voice calling to Aimee for the stormgems and immediately she pulled an arrow and loosely nocked it. Noah headed toward their wagon as Aimee tried desperately to grab the stormgems and Elann protectively followed him, making sure he safely got there. 

What the power of the stormgems would do in this instance Elann didn't know, but seeing the power of the small ones, she wondered what the larger one would do in their instance. She herself had set to protect Noah and Aimee. The foot soldiers came into view and from behind Noah, an arrow loosed and sounded from Elann as one of them fell with a chest wound before coming upon the doctor and his family. Elann drew another arrow and nocked it and it was then that she heard the horsemen and saw them. To her side now came Noah with the bright illuminating gem, causing their previous concealed nature at the edge of the camp to be found out. 

It was then that two of the horsemen charged, and before Elann could fire, a strange light of fire came from her left with Aimee. It was magic, she was sure of it. Her eyes trailed the orb of embers as it was thrown and she jumped in fear as it exploded against a man. Clyde had regaled her on the powers of Reinmancy, but she never thought she would see it. 

It was then that she felt the presence of her God. He had come at the word of Zulrav and out of care for his charge. Yahal had invested much watching and love toward Elann in her life and she had yet to face her most challenging trial yet, but he wanted her safe and above all else, for her to understand that he was set against evil. His voice came then, like running water it rushed over her, sending chills up her spine. In that moment, he was her General, telling her who was most evil, who was the most deserving of death, and above all, who to protect from that evil.

The right hand man of the leader, his brother was the man she needed to kill first. He was clad in armor that despite the best blows of their faithful guards, could not be prevailed against. He struck down one guard and brutally murdered him with a final swing after he had fallen and began to move to the next. He was a foot soldier there, leading the charge on the ground and relaying the orders of his brother the leader on horseback. Elann's bow skipped over the man who seemed the most threat to them and went directly to the man who assailed their guards. 

As she pulled, the brilliantly blinding light that had illuminated her in the day Noah had become injured purely enveloped her arrow once more and like a bolt of lightning, it was loosed and struck completely through the man, leaving a gaping hole through his armor and planted firmly into his chest. The leader was the next most evil, but there was more pressing orders to protect not only themselves, but the men and women of the camp. Those were her next targets and she hoped that before she could draw an arrow, either Noah or Aimee could somehow kill the stunned horseman who had charged at them.