The Elvin Chronicles, Book 1: Retreat ♛

Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

~Delanie~

I rode into a small pasture to find Zimrith seated on his wolf, Riker, and Rose whispering something to Iris, hoping to calm her down. Next to Iris was the small, nameless foal, nuzzling her dam.

"We can't build an army in five minutes, Zimrith," I said, " You know that. For now, we have to run away as fast as we can-and find my parents." As I said that, I handed my two friends the note.

Rose read it and gasped. Zimrith looked at me in horror, saying, "We have to hurry then. Who knows what the Dark King does to his slaves..." He gripped Riker's shaggy fur and jumped on his back.

Rose patted the foal, kissed her nose, and looked at me. "We should go into that forest over there, where it's safer."

I nodded and turned Hawthorn in the direction she was pointing to.

~

Every sound makes me jump-who knows were the Dark King and his army of slaves might be?

"Delanie, aren't you," Rose lowers her voice,"The elf princes?"

I smile, then look around. "Yes, but my real parents hid my with another family, because they knew the Dark King would try to attack me soon. But I call my stepparents 'parents', just for safety."

Riker, and with him, Iris and Hawthorn, shifts uneasily. Zimrith pats his wolf's shaggy fur, asking, "What's the matter, fella? You know we're not safe, don't you!"

~Zimrith~

I shivered despite my own words to comfort Riker. Rose gulpled uneasily.

"I hear something." She said softly.

"What?" I asked her.

"The beating of a thousand hooves, just behind us." She replies.

I nod, knowing how Rose could hear and feel it and we could not. She could talk to trees and see what they saw.

And Rose didn't have to say this but we both knew that this whole forest wouldn't be here when we returned. It would be nothing but charred ash.

"Rest in peace." She murmmered to herself.

~Delanie~

I looked at Rose in horror, and a chill ran down my spine. "They know I'm here! We have to hide-no-change direction! Yes. We'll take the detour my parents took when they hid me."

Zimrith looked at Rose. "Do you hear anything else? Orders? Shouts? Delanie's stepparents?" As he asked the last question, his face filled with hope.

Rose closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. "I hear...yelling, the cracking of whips, and the cries of innocent people and elves."

I wanted to cry out in terror. The Dark King's army was coming, and all we had on our side was Rose's powers, my bow and arrow, and the speed of our mounts.

~Rose~

"Delanie," I began. "I want to go back. Help them."

But I knew it couldn't be done. We couldn't put the elf princess in danger.

"It's okay, Ros." Zimrith said calmly. "We will save them when we return."

"Their in pain." I said looking at the trees. "They have never seen something so terrible."

Zimrith grimaced.

"We have to keep moving."

~Delanie~

"This way! We'll hide in this grove over here."

Rose shook her head, saying, "They'll see us there! Let's keep moving-we have a better chance that way."

Zimrith looked at the top of the trees."Look! Smoke! They must be", he gulped,"destroying the village." I wanted to cry. Again. But instead, I urged Hawthorn to canter, signaling the others to do so with their mounts, too.

Then something dawned on me: what if I lead my friends in the wrong direction? What if I get us all caught?