*(Preview)* Ravenlight: Book 1- Embers of the Past

Chapter VII

The breeze had begun to pick up more as the path guided her forth. Rustling up ahead stopped Elise short, stopped by the hop of a bunny on the move. Her smile perked up and with that her feet kept her moving. Her eyes darted right, a blur of movement on the horizon. Around a hundred meters out moved multiple humans, all dressed in armor vests carrying varying melee weapons and long range weapons.

Some with spears, some with axes, some with rifles, others with whole vests of grenades. Each wore cross necklaces, and none of them paid her any mind. Her pace stopped right behind a tree to block their potential view of her, eyes shaking a slither, "{Hunters? Yeah, definitely hunters. People from the Church probably. That's just great. Looks like they're heading in the direction of Pointe Peak. Stark Pack? I had best report back on that later I suppose.}"

Her head slowly poked out, eyes zooming out. Not a single one of them was in view though tracks left in the mud led on further away heading towards the North, "Well they're either going for Pointe Peak for Stark Pack or their heading off to Faro. Dang, I should visit Faro again some time, I love that town. Alright, guess I should get back and report this, then get to work with all my other duties."

The underground tunnels of the mountains, home of Clan Vulfax. Through these tunnels Elise moved at a sluggish pace with a basket upon her back filled with the unlit torches. Behind was her large cart, full of broken and diminished stubs that once were burning sources of light. Behind those, more wood and other torches, even supplies to make more torches. With a plastic lighter in hand, she moved about lighting each new one up, removing the old ones, and placing the new ones in their new holders upon the cave walls.

Step, swap, light, repeat. That was all as she moved along with others walking passed her. She gave them a glance then continued on down another tunnel, "Hmm, lets see, I think I need to trade these out tomorrow, or did I put them in later than I think I- eh, whatever. I'll roll with it. What was it next again? Oh... great."

Upon another cart lay a stack of sheets and straw pulled by Elise as she went on to small openings within the tunnels. Behind the cart was another cart with torn sheets and messy straw piled high. She stopped at each small opening and reached in, pulling from them more torn sheets and straw piled.

She gagged as she carried it over to the back cart, dropping it aboard. Her attention turned to the front cart as she moved again to grab new straw and sheets. Moving to the entrance she set them down with a nod and a sigh, returning to the cart pulling it on as she had done many times before, "I hate swapping out old bedding."

At the end of the tunnel was a stack of water canisters. She gave another sigh as she stopped right in front of them, bending down scooping several up, "Great, now I have more water duty to worry about."

The carts moved to the outside now with her pull, upon one multiple water containers and upon the other much of the bedding and old torches. With a sigh she stopped once a fair distance away, turning to the second cart, "Well, this cart is about done like this lighter. So-"

With a single flicker the cart erupted into flames, the lighter having been tossed lit right into it. Her foot pressed down and released the latch connecting the two carts. With that done Elise turned away and pulled the first cart aside, a book now in hand which she opened, "Lets see... so tomorrow I grab a few dozen liters of water again and find another cart if at all possible, then catch fish. What joy."

Her eyes glanced up to the entrance where they then rested upon Vulper who stood with arms crossed. The book lowered as he gave a nod, turning to walk back in. Elise glanced back down to her book, reading along as the fire roared on, "Man, what a pain. Next I have to, uh, oh right, Vulper wants me to go tend to the Eldership and bring them their herbal tea and then sweep the tunnels out. Ah man, why do we even clean cave tunnels out?"