One destiny. Two paths. One war.
Sheala and Cass have chosen their sides. One seeks to bring meaning to her life that has been in shambles since the day her father and mother were killed and weighs the prospect of assuming the mantle of her uncle's...
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Paths upon paths upon paths. Some intersect and lead us back to a new start. Others lead to an eventual end. But no path cannot be retrod back to its start should we realize our mistakes.
Words to the Wise by Seer Shun
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Reane kneeled in the bushes. Her vantage provided a partially obstructed view of a sizable encampment of Imperial troops. Like a hive of buzzing bees, soldiers were everywhere. The barricades erected along their chosen route back to the Oracle and Fimmirra were an unwelcome inconvenience.
Her eyes took in everything she could see while her mind traced through the thoughts of as many of the soldiers as she could handle at once. Thankful these men were unaware that someone capable of such was in their midst.
There wasn't as much information useful to their predicament to be gathered as Reane would have liked. But what she gleaned was helpful, even if minor. The attacks by the Dark Elves along with this attempt to seal off the southern border of the Elven Kingdoms were all being carried out in conjunction with something else. What that "something" was, these soldiers didn't appear to be informed about. But whatever it was, rumors spreading through the ranks were that it was a major undertaking.
Reading and sorting all these thoughts was more strain than it should have been to do so, however. Just moving the Oracle during their flight from Catersburg alone had left her with psychic scars that were taking longer to heal than Reane anticipated. Coupled with the wave of anger that pierced her mind from the archeon, and both attempts to break in to Anthony's thoughts, she was still not at back at her full mental strength.
"Wouldn't you know it," she grumbled as Sheala moved through the brush to take up a position beside her. Wearing all black, her friend looked every bit like the thief she was on the streets of Catersburg. Forgoing any of her formal clothing, she was dressed for comfort, not diplomacy. And certainly not for making good first impressions. "We're hardly outside of the elven borders and this has to happen."
"Looks like the scouts weren't joking when they said there was trouble ahead." Sheala's fingers fiddled with the hilt of her sword.
"If we backtrack, it'll take four extra days to get to the Oracle. We don't have the supplies for that." Watching as the soldiers in the encampment moved about, Reane noticed heavy activity from one tent in particular. She figured it was the commanding officer's quarters. "Looks like Lord Hedric is getting ready to put the squeeze on. If there weren't so blasted many of us, it would be nothing to sneak around this."
