Garthalan: Mother of the Wood

Longstrider

Garen pov

We walked the Forrest, leading the horses behind us. I and warden Shey took lead so as to watch our path ahead. Hailey had awoke last night so she and her mother, who's name was Beth, walked in the middle of a three man circle. Warden kellion took the tail watching behind us. Hopefully we would leave with eight people just as we entered.

"So why couldn't we find a good looking man with a broken leg? This girl seems a little mousey to me." Shey always picked the worst times to make small talk.

"I dunno, damsel in distress seems to have kept the others happy though. I'll take what we got." I kicked a bear trap out of the leaves and signaled the others to be on guard. "Besides I don't think your type even could be in distress."

She scoffed at that. "Don't you know the most skilled men make the most mistakes. Big heads every one of em."

"well I guess you would be right in that. Where's your big head though shey?" She kicked up a trap on her side.

"I said skilled men. Not women." She winked at me and faced ahead.

"I know plenty of skilled bigheaded women." A movement above our heads had everyone go quiet and defensive. We moved so that the circle was complete around Hailey and Beth, and raised our weapons.

The men moved like ghosts between trees only giving us a shadow of a glimpse every now and again.

"show yourself cowards!" Kellion yelled trying to train his sight on any single bandit.

"aye! I know you were soldiers! Have you no honor left Longstrider!" Shey blended her own words perfectly with kellions as though they had rehearsed it.

" And besides! Who other than rodents hide in the shadows!" Another Warden, Anderson, joined the speech.

"Your no longer on the kings land snakes! Pay our fee and you may pass." A man revealed himself from behind a tree. Everyone kept their sights on the ghosts in the trees.

" We are in need of the gold, horses, and weapons. Anything else is yours."

"And if the fee is your weapons and gold?"

Shey answered him. "This bow was made my father, I will not give it away. You may however have the arrows." She drew back the bowstring ready to loose it into the mans neck.

He smiled and lifted his hand. The ghosts became solid targets as they trained arrows upon us. "I think it would be best that a warden keep her arrows m'lady. Tell me. Why do you travel with a member of the order?"

"I am...."

"I will not hear the lies of one sent by a coward king."

Shey spoke again. " This is not an order member. He is a with Commander Gretha and would not lie to anyone. Even a bandit."

"What are your names?"

"not until we hear your own."

"I don't think your in a position to be making demand rebel." I looked around at the archers trained on our small group.

"You are looking for information on us, we cannot give you names with arrows in our throats. If you will not give us what we ask then you will not have what it is you ask." The man grinned.

" Your are a talker aren't you. Fine, my name is Robert longstrider." As I expected.

"Thank you. I am Garen Rensit, this is Warden Shey, the others are Warden Kellion, Warden David, Warden Anderson, and Warden Fredrick. The women are Hailey and Beth."

He lowered his hands and his men lowered their bows. "Well warden Shey. I invite you and your group to come sit at our camp. We may have information for you." obviously the man did not like me.

"The leader of our group is Sir Garen. It is up to him." There's new I didn't even know.

I looked to the man awaiting him to repeat.

"Sir Garen. Will you come to our camp or not?" He sounded annoyed now.

"of course Sir Longstrider. Show us the way."

Adaya pov

I walked towards the gates dismising the animals, all sorts showed up all deadly and sneaky. I never did find out the skill of the small army because they fell within a minute.

"Might I enter gatekeeper!?" I yelled up the wall. A head poked out of a small window. It was Laila. What is she doing at the gates?

"You'll have to go over Adaya! Apparently there should be order members our there somewhere!"

"There were! They're gone now!"

"Truly? Just a moment!" She dissapeared for a moment and the gates lurked open.

I enetered and went strait towards Laila. I needed to know what was going on.

" Adaya I'm glad your here. There are shadows and a lot of them running around." She lit another lamp so there were no shadows in the room for them to materialize in.

I held up Sashas bag. "We need to hurry, Sasha probably doesn't have much longer." Laila closed her eyes for a moment.

"Take her the effects. I can hold off the shadows for a time, but hurry back."

"Laila. I am more equipped to fight shadows, take this to my house and you hurry back." She laughed at me.

"Leaving Adaya Thas to fend off monsters alone in the night. Helana would never forgive me for that one. You take it. There is no argument that will change my mind."

"Think I can't fend off a few assassins huh? Well have no fear, I am not alone." On Que a boar and a buck trotted into the room. I handed the bag to Laila and steered her towards the door. "So me a favor make sure your sister is taking care of mine. And have no worry of an invasion I took care of the main force outside."

Helena pov

Sir Jenalon must have some serious luck on his side. My thoughts as all the drunken men stumbled and tripped out of the tavern, more likely to fall on their swords than they were to come close to hitting one of those shadows.I am glad the hunters know how to control themselves. Two of them walked out with the men, each holding a high elf, ensuring they would not fall.

The forts going to be takeb by the time they get organised. "Dekan. Get everyone prepared with the commander. I will be waiting at the gate." And with that I ran off, towards the gate tower.

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Sorry this little attempt at an invasion is taking so long, there's a lot I wanted them to do. But Imma end it soon enough. I would like to know what everyone thinks so far and if there's any questions on my story, leave a comment and as soon as I can I'll reply.