Narda grunted at the thought of having to travel any of those distances. “I too would rather be eating meat after what he had just gone through. But first, we have to get out of this forest.” As they cautiously made their way back through the way they had come earlier, Narda noted how the trees nearest to the portal earlier looked deader than those ahead of them. Under the sunlight though, everything looked lifeless, really. Still sinister, but not as bad as it had been when they first entered. More wolves headed their way, but these were fewer, and Narda was able to dispatch them easily. They scared more easily, too, while a few broke off, disoriented and mad like the one she had killed earlier. 

“Do you think the elves would find a way to destroy this place?” she asked, as she hacked her way through some of the more stubborn trees. “Even if the magic has gone from the place, if I were them I would rest easier if this forest was razed to the ground. Let new life grow over it without—all this,” she said, gesturing around them. “Three more behind you, stay sharp.” 

She all but pushed one tree aside with one arm; it almost crumbled under her touch, as if real death and decay were finally catching up to the forest. “You fought well today,” she said with a grin. “You’d get along well with our crew. Did Envy train you to fight?” 

--
“My apologies,” Ed said, stopping to look at the shadow elf beside him. “Merely a habit to be concerned with any warriors’ wellbeing.” He had a playful smirk on his lips before looking back ahead of them. Her concerns were understandable. “Correct on most counts. I would venture to say, however, that if they recognize who I am, I am more valuable to them as a hostage. And I am confident you are quite hard to kill. Kire chooses her friends well. Mostly,” he added, his thoughts going briefly to Rulitus, whom he hadn’t decided yet how to feel about. “If I do get you killed, you are very welcome to haunt all my days henceforth.” 

He glanced her way again, seeing her fidgeting with her hair. While traveling through Shadow-Walking seemed easier than Kire’s portals, this was a reminder to him that anything involving magic had consequences. There was no ‘easy’. He nodded idly when she spoke in Elvish. “[i]Let’s hope your luck holds,[/i]” he replied softly. “[i]I don’t intend on dying so soon after coming home.[/i]” He paused, looking about, recognizing this portion of the forest as he observed the bend in the stream, the way the mountain peaks looked. He followed the stream until he found, some distance away, the forest thinning out into farmland. He could see pens for animals, though his attention was on the horses. Beyond the farms, he could see the town protected by tall wooden barricades. There were banners flying from the barricades, and Ed grinned, seeing the green and gold fluttering in the wind. 

“[i]Looks like our luck did hold.[/i]” Ed grinned back at her. “[i]We’re in Wyvern land.[/i]” He paused in thought, then turned to her. “[i]Can you Walk us closer? Or I can go forward on my own first while you stay hidden.” While these were allied lands, there was no telling what was going on behind those walls. 

--

Myka’s comrades circled Ruli as the rest of the party converged on the two Gemini spies. The women were ready to pounce, even as he spoke in the common tongue and told them he didn’t know Taakalon. Myka glanced up, observing him, her gaze falling to the glinting saber at his hip. [i]That looks familiar[/i]. Most understood what he said, but before he could be questioned, he disappeared. “[i]Shit![/i]” Myka yelled, having just caught up with them. “[i]Half of you escort the men back to the Wyvern camp. Strike them down at first sign of danger. The rest of you, spread out! Capture him alive! He doesn’t speak Taakalon, I need to question him.[/i]”

[i]How could he disappear like that? Was he like Kire?[/i] Myka thought, racing through the trees uphill. [i]Or was this a new Gemini trick?[/i] No, something in her gut told her this was different. From the brief observation they made of him, he had an injured arm, and if he didn’t speak the language he was very, very far from home. [i]How could he know the common tongue but not Taakalon?[/i] Somebody ahead of her shouted that he was making a run due west. Loud whistles and ‘bird calls’ sounded from her comrades, answered from a distance by other whistles. He may have gotten the lead, but he’d be surrounded soon if he kept going in that direction, and he would encounter a barricade too, even if he slipped past the rest of the [i]Wench[/i] crew. 

Ahead of Ruli, Myka’s crewmates received the signal. If all went well, their sisters would herd the man to a corner, towards a few traps they had set for the spies. If he went left, he’d stumble into a pit they had hidden. If he continued straight, he’d be trapped against the barricade. To his right, the rest of the [i]Wench[/i] would flank him.