Warrior
an excerpt

Prologue

“Rhiannon, run! Can you make it?”
A fairy in shining golden robes with long bronze hair gasped for breath, clutching a tight bundle close to her body. Her lavender eyes flashed fearfully in the dark gloom. “I can’t, Tsunami!”
A radiant blue unicorn galloped back beside her. “Where are King Chestnut and Auragonius?”
“I lost them after the fight with Sarai! Oh, Tsunami, what do I do? I have to save her!” the fairy’s normally controlled tones had become panicked and nervous.
The unicorn nodded. “Your Highness, Calm down. Duck!”
The fairy queen instantly dropped to the ground, a great hoof stamping into her. The bundle cried. “No! Tsunami, help me!” the fairy yelled, struggling.
The unicorn needed no further urging. Suddenly, Tsunami, the blue unicorn, was underneath her. “Your Highness, we must get away from here! We have to leave!”
“I-I can’t. Sarai will kill us all! Take care of her!”
The fairy tucked the bundle into the pack slung over the unicorn’s side. She ran into the woods, yelling, magic burning in her lavender eyes. Tsunami hated to leave, but he knew he had to. He galloped faster than he ever had before. Soon the Palace of Moon Dance appeared. He ran, jumping over the moat, pounding on the solid oak door with his sapphire horn. “Help me! Help! I need someone to help me!”
A light flickered, and the unicorn heard footsteps. What happened to Rhiannon? He had to get back to her. He gently slid the bundle onto the ground, and galloped away. He paused for a single moment. “Best wishes, little one,” he murmured, before galloping back into the dark forests.
Tsunami ran faster. Branches whipped his face- branches he would have dodged, had he not been so worried. “Rhiannon! Where are you?”
He heard a loud, piercing scream that made his blood run cold. “Rhiannon! No!”
He froze. A silent scream stuck in the unicorn’s throat. Rhiannon was dead. Tsunami gasped. His hooves scraped unsteadily on the uneven ground.

***

An elf peeked cautiously outside of the palace. “Hello, dear,” she said softly, lifting the bundle into her arms. She gasped. “You’re a fairy!”
A beautiful elf with brown hair, blue almond-shaped eyes, high cheekbones, and a scarlet cloak draped over a golden breastplate stepped curiously beside her. “Who is it, Ellonore?”
The elf shrugged. “Look, Your Highness! It is a fairy-child, but it does not have any wing buds! It looks like an elf!”
The elf queen nodded. She paused. “This is unusual, but I believe I know whose daughter this is.”
Ellonore looked at her curiously. “You do?”
The elf nodded. “I do, and she’ll be the next princess of Nymphia since I myself cannot have children.”
“Is that wise, Queen Xandrina? This isn’t an elf- not a pure-blood anyway. It’s a fairy!” Ellonore said, her voice softening. “A fairy!”
“It is wise. Trust me.”
Ellonore still looked at her uncertainly. “A fairy…I’ve never seen a fairy here!”
“Well, we can’t leave the fairy out in the cold, can we?” Queen Xandrina asked.
“No, I guess not.”
“Then, taking her in is the best choice,” Queen Xandrina said. “Fate has given us a remarkable gift, and we shall see what happens.”
Then, the two elves walked back into the palace. Tsunami watched in stony silence. The unicorn had galloped back after seeing the beautiful fairy queen fight and fall over the edge of the stony outlook. He had achieved his quest, but the price had been too high. Queen Rhiannon of the fairies was surely dead. “What if she isn’t?” Tsunami muttered. “I have to be sure.”
Chapter 1: A Warrior and a Healer

When all hope is lost,
One will pay the final cost,
Look for the Nymphian whose life cannot last,
Only she can fix the mistakes of the past.

Pale moonlight shined over the thick forests of Nymphia, casting an eerie silver glow over the land. The wind seemed dead, and it was quiet except for the sound of hooves crunching brittle autumn leaves. A deep ginger horse galloped on into the night with its rider. Its rider was a thin elf with light lavender eyes that shined like flames. Her hair was long and bronze with silver streaks running through it. She was rather rugged- especially for an elf- with scars tracing down her face. She wore silver and leather armor that seemed to glow with moonlight. Her name was Andraste, and over her back was a silver crescent-shaped shield. The elf fingered the hilt of her sword and whispered to her horse. “Come on, Spear, just go a little further.”
The horse snorted and resumed its gallop through the forest. A loud screech suddenly split the night air, and Andraste pulled back on her stallion’s reins. The horse halted, and Andraste dismounted. The elf simply listened for several moments to the loud screeches. She shuddered involuntarily as the frightening tales she’d heard of monsters in the woods seemed suddenly all too real. No one went into these woods at night if he or she could help it. There could be rebels, or worse- monsters- vampires and werewolves who stalked their prey, biting victims to force into their wars between each other to decide who ruled the night. Andraste snapped out of her daze and drew her sword as a bush nearby rustled. “Reveal yourself!” she snapped.
The only response was a rasping moan. Andraste slung her shield over her arm and cautiously edged closer, her heart pounding so loud in her ears, she wondered if the creature in the bushes could hear it. You are a warrior! She thought. This is ridiculous! Just because it’s night, I’m afraid of a bush rustling! What’s wrong with me?
Andraste pushed the bush aside with her shield and almost laughed. It was just an owl! The elf knelt beside it to get a better look. The owl was pure white with coal black eyes glazed with fear. Deciding the owl posed no real threat to her in its present condition; Andraste sheathed her sword and swept her fingers along the grass. She fingered a sticky substance that she knew all too well- blood. Leaning back, Andraste twisted to one side, wincing at the sight of the owl’s tail feathers covered in blood. There appeared to be a large gash or bite of some sort on the owl’s back. Andraste reached around and jumped back as the owl snapped at her. Withdrawing her hand, Andraste brought her shield down hard on the owl’s head twice, knocking it unconscious. Without a second thought, Andraste scooped the owl into her arms and wrapped her cloak around it.
Andraste walked back to her stallion and pulled herself into the saddle, placing the owl between her legs in the saddle with her. The elf nodded, slinging her shield back over her back. “Irethel will know what to do,” she said quietly.
The elf clucked softly, and Spear trotted toward the palace.

***

“What about the boy?” a unicorn asked his fairy companion.
The fairy shook her head, her bronze hair rippling down her shoulders. “What can I say, Chestnut? I have doomed him, I think. I’ve given him such a sheltered life.”
“Rhiannon,” Chestnut said. “He’s been here how long? It has only twenty years or so, has it not?”
The fairy still looked unconvinced, but she nodded. “Yes, but still…he’s only aged sixteen.”
Rhiannon paused by a window and watched the elf in the gardens below; where he was skipping stones while talking to a unicorn with a deep lavender hide. “He’s no longer safe here. Sarai will kill him…right after she’s through with me.”
“Rhiannon, you don’t know if Sarai plans to kill you. After all, she’s still your sister,” Chestnut said.
“She slaughtered children, though!” Rhiannon exclaimed. “And I turned a blind eye to it because I thought it couldn’t possibly be her, and I was so wrong.”
“Rhiannon, look at me.” The unicorn looked directly into the fairy’s eyes and spoke softly, “It isn’t your fault. If you are so worried, figure out how to protect him. Even so, you’ve protected him for so long; eventually he’ll have to fend for himself.”
“That’s the problem!” Rhiannon said. “I’ve given him such a sheltered life that he probably doesn’t remember what his life was like before now!”
“You don’t forget a past like that,” Chestnut said. “Well, once more, what are you going to do with him?”
“I’m going to send him to Queen Aurora.”
The unicorn shook his head. “It’s his destiny to help the One, and keeping him from fulfilling his destiny will only make things more difficult for him. If there weren’t a prophecy, where would you send him?”
“I’d send him to Nymphia, but I can’t.”
“He’ll get there one way of another,” Chestnut said. “If it’s his destiny, fate will make him go.”
“Maybe,” Rhiannon said, “But I won’t be the one to force him to go.”
“He won’t have a choice either way,” Chestnut replied.
“He might,” Rhiannon said. “I’m going to be sure he at least gets to decide for himself. I’m not going to let destiny simply drag him where the Guardians want him to be because of Sarai. I’m going to give him a choice.”
“Rhiannon, is that out of concern for him or out of worry?”
The fairy shook her head. “He’s going to have a choice, Chestnut.”

***

It was not long before the Moon Palace loomed over Andraste. Its silver towers rose high into the sky, and it was surrounding by a thick wall made of dull stone. Andraste dismounted and ordered Spear to stay underneath a large oak- just out of sight from the palace guards. The elf crept through the brush until she was facing a wrought iron gate. She checked for patrolling guards and rushed forward with the owl in her arms. The West Gate had a latch that, if pulled correctly, would open. Andraste knew the gate never closed well, and she knew exactly how to pry it open. She set the owl down beside her and fingered the latch until the gate opened. She paused, making sure none had noticed, before retrieving the owl and slipping inside the palace grounds. Walking in the shadow of the wall, she sneaked inside the kitchen. Then, she turned into a long corridor. Finally, she came to a door and gently nudged it open, closing it quietly behind her. “Well, are you tired of running?” a feminine voice asked.
Andraste wasn’t surprised to see an old elf with long silver hair and pale blue eyes staring at her. “I’m not running, Irethel!” Andraste snapped. “I’m waiting for Mother to come to her senses!”
Irethel shook her head wearily. “If you’ll permit me to ask, what are you two arguing on about, anyway?”
“Nothing,” Andraste said darkly.
Irethel sighed. “What is that under your cloak?”
“It’s an injured owl. I haven’t dressed the wound because I thought you should see the gash back there. I think it’s a bite, actually. It’s unlike any I’ve ever seen.”
Irethel looked at her curiously, before pulling the cloak away from the owl and gasping. The old elf’s eyes widened and she stumbled backwards. “I really hope that isn’t what I think it is!”
“What?” Andraste asked, parting the owl’s feathers to get a better look.
“Don’t do that! It’s poisonous!” Irethel snapped. “At least, I think so,” the elf said, hesitantly, leaning close once more to get a better look. “Yes, it has two indentions, tilted slightly left….Great Guardian Oiche, help us! That’s a viper bite!”
“What?” Andraste asked.
“Vipers,” Irethel said, “are half-snake, half-human. They stand on two legs, and they have long scaly tails. Their bodies are smooth and lithe. They have hands, and their heads are flat with narrow eyes that are either bright red or gold. Their teeth are like a rattlesnake’s fangs. One bite and you can die within three days. Andraste, I know your mother makes you study exotic creatures. Don’t you ever listen? Luckily, it doesn’t look like this owl was bitten too badly. There’s a gash right near her tail feathers; that’s where most of the blood is coming from, I think. If vipers are here, we should all be worried.”
“We’ll be fine. We’ve fought rebels for nearly two centuries,” Andraste replied.
Irethel eyed her coldly. “You’ve never fought anything like this. Now, you have to come back-”
“No!” Andraste snapped.
The elves became silent as footsteps echoed closer and closer. Andraste waited until they passed. Then, the elf warrior rushed into the corridor. She ran back into the kitchen, yelling as she almost crashed into another elf. Rushing to the gate, she heard a yell, “Stop her!”
“Curses,” Andraste muttered, “Go, Spear!”
Her horse galloped forward at the same instant Andraste climbed up into an oak tree. Climbing higher into the branches, she paused. A patrol of elves rushed beneath the spot. “I hear her horse!” an elf said.
“I do, too!”
“It might be a trick,” one replied.
Andraste peeked out thru the branches at another elf- her only true friend in Nymphia. The elf locked eyes with hers, and Andraste was worried for a moment that Radiance might see her. The elf’s eyes looked around the tree, but it was clear Radiance didn’t see her. “I don’t see her. She must’ve gone with her horse, right? Besides, it’s hard to hide the sound of autumn leaves crushing. If she were on foot, her breathing would be harder; we’d hear her for sure.”
Andraste held her breath, hoping that the patrol wouldn’t hear her heart slamming in her chest, and, luckily, they didn’t. “Let’s go quickly!” an elf yelled, and the patrol vanished, following Spear.
As soon as they vanished from sight, Andraste climbed down from the tree. She nodded satisfactorily and walked as silently as possible through the forest. The elf spotted a cave half-hidden by brush and slept there until noon.

***

“So…you’re Elvin of Luminous, I presume?”
“I am.”
The black-haired gnome, Captain Odysse of the Star of the Sea, eyed the young elf uncertainly. “You’re one of Queen Rhiannon’s best ambassadors. I expected someone…well, a bit older.”
Elvin shrugged. “Well, to be honest, I didn’t expect the ship’s captain to be a gnome. Ship captaind are usually sea nymphs or sirens.”
Odysse laughed gruffly, stroking a short black beard. “Yes, it is a bit strange. Still…how old are you?”
“I’m sixty-five.”
“Sixty-five? How can you be sixty-five?”
“Well, that’s in elfin years. I’m only sixteen in human years.”
“Elvin, wait a moment, will you?”
“Oh... er... King Chestnut? What is it, Your Majesty?” Elvin asked.
The bronze unicorn shook his mane and faced the elf, leaning his head to one side. “Be very careful.”
“I will be. Besides, I have my bow, and I can heal myself for smaller injuries. What can go wrong with that?”
“Destiny,” King Chestnut muttered. “Captain Odysse, do you have it?”
Captain Odysse nodded and drew out a sheathed dagger, passing it to Elvin. “What is it?” he asked. “It’s very fine steel.”
King Chestnut nodded. “Yes, and it might save your life. It’s Nymphian steel.”
“Then…it’s mine? I’ve no idea how to use it, and I’m not very fond of blades,” Elvin said, “So I probably shouldn’t take it.”
“No, it’s yours. Trust me,” King Chestnut said.
“Really…I’ve already taken your hospitality. I shouldn’t,” Elvin insisted.
“No. Keep it with you, Elvin. Trust me when I say you will need it. That dagger bears the symbol of the high priests and priestesses of Nymphia. Should you meet any Nymphian, he or she will not dare harm you- as long as you have that dagger.”
Elvin laughed. “But I’m not going to Nymphia! I’ve never been there at all.” He paused and said more softly. “Queen Rhiannon is really worried isn’t she?”
King Chestnut nodded. ”Yes, so you’ll keep it with you?”
Elvin nodded. “I will.”

***

Andraste had successfully managed to avoid the elf patrols for three days. Her plan was to travel to Port North, where, according to palace records, the privateer ship, Aqua Aura was to make port. After all, there was no way that she was marrying Prince Trisher. He was one of the few elves in Nymphia who could perform minimal magic. He could levitate light objects, and he never spared Andraste a moment before talking about his ‘greatness’ and ‘magical superiority’, to which Andraste would always try to reply with something equally obnoxious- which was easier said than done.
The elf finally arrived at Port North. It had been raining fiercely the day before, and she’d worried that it would delay the Aqua Aura, but no sign of the rain remained. The sun shined brightly over the ocean, and it was a beautiful day indeed. Andraste blinked a few times, noticing an object stuck in a barrier of rocks. Much to her surprise, it was ship! Andraste shook her head at what she was sure was carelessness, but, she reasoned, maybe she could salvage some supplies. Andraste left her shield hidden under some nearby bushes and waded into the water.
She blinked salt water out of her eyes as she waded in waist deep, with waves crashing over her. Andraste approached the ship and cautiously stepped through a crack in the hull into the ship. Half of the ship was underwater, and Andraste couldn’t imagine salvaging much from that part, so she continued through a hall. She peeked into a cabin. A siren with straight blue hair and pale skin was standing with a large chunk of wood driven into her heart, pinning her to the wall of the ship. She was covered in blood from her shoulders down. Her eyes stared up, seeing nothing. A sword lay on the ground beside the siren, as covered in blood as the siren. She was a warrior. “At least your death was swift,” Andraste muttered, quickly shifting her eyes away from the blood to the door that she’d just entered.
Each cabin she passed was filled with blood and death. She hadn’t discovered any supplies either- aside from a couple apples. The elf knew little of ships, but she knew she needed to find the galley. Andraste spotted it, and almost stepped inside when she tripped. Catching herself before she fell, she looked down and saw a bow. She kicked it aside, spotting an elf as she did so. He had pale chestnut hair and had his eyes closed. Andraste figured he was about fifty-five or sixty- only aged a year or two older than she was. He might be older, though. When elves were young, they aged incredibly fast, but as they reached thirty, they began to age much slower. Age was determined by growth rather than years, but other than a vague estimate, Andraste had no idea how old this elf was. There wasn’t much blood, she saw, when her thoughts finally returned to him, but he did have a huge lump on his head. Checking his pulse, Andraste confirmed that he was definitely alive. Andraste dragged the elf toward the spot where she’d entered the ship then stopped. Andraste left him and ran back to the galley, gathering a sack of provisions. The elf found no water- only rum, which she noted with disgust. No wonder they crashed! They were so drunk; they probably couldn’t see the floor beneath them, much less the rock they were about to ram into!
“Lively bunch,” she muttered, discovering yet another empty cask.
Andraste reached the room where she’d found the elf and recovered the bow she’d tripped on and a quiver of arrows nearby. Logically, they must be his since he’d been unarmed and they were in the same room. After she placed the supplies, bow, and arrows ashore, she waded back to the ship and half-dragged the elf ashore. Retreating into the woods a bit, she took out her flint and steel that she always carried with her and started a small fire. Andraste glanced at the elf, trying to learn as much about him as she could before he regained consciousness. His complexion was tan, so he probably spent a good deal of time outside, but his skin was pale like hers, so he probably was not from anywhere south of Nymphia. Oddly, he did not look like a sailor to her. The elf blinked and gasped as she withdrew a silver dagger from his waist. The phoenix with wings spread was clear on the blade. Then, she wondered whether to wake him or not. She managed to wait for nearly an hour when her impatience and curiosity got the better of her, and she dumped a flask of water over his head, figuring she should be able to get more water from the Silver River. The elf coughed and blinked deep hazel eyes. “Where am I?” he rasped. “Who are you?”
“Bestro li Etreiymph,” Andraste replied. “Gish liea artin gomuh?”
“What? Etreitymph…wait, ‘land of Nymphia’? Is that what that means?” He coughed again. “Er… Callist aresheu carmeon dermle Eesiliou. Sorry, but I don’t speak Nymphian except for that.”
“Then, you speak Eesil...er…Luminousian?” Andraste asked, switching languages.
“Doesn’t almost everybody speak some form of Luminousian?”
“You aren’t a Nymphian, are you? Are you a Sharae?”
“What? No…I’m not a Nymphian or a Sharae- whatever that is.”
Andraste drew her sword and bit her lip. Laws were strict; kill any outsiders unless they are making port or are traveling merchants, and this elf was clearly no merchant. The elf flipped the dagger in her free hand and knelt beside him. “I have some questions, and you are going to answer them- understand?”
The elf nodded. “Considering you’re holding a sword I don’t see I have much of a choice.”
“Good. Now what happened to you?”
He nodded and glanced around the forests. “I was on a ship-“
“It crashed,” Andraste interrupted impatiently. “What happened? Who are you, and why are you here?”
“Elvin. My name is Elvin, and I live in Wild Luminous.” He paused, as if he could not quite remember and replied, “I-I’m not sure exactly what happened.”
“What do you remember? Where were you sailing?”
“I can’t tell you that unless I know who you are.”
“Really? I happen to have a sword at your chest.”
Elvin nodded. “Yes, I can see that, but if you’re helping Empress Sarai I certainly can’t tell you anything.”
“I’m not with Empress Sarai!” Andraste snapped in disgust.
“Can you prove that?” Elvin asked.
“Can you prove I’m not?”
“Fair enough,” Elvin said. “So…I’m in Nymphia, I take it? That’s ironic.”
“Yes, you’re Nymphia, and I suppose I’ll have to stay with you because I can’t kill you, and I can’t let you wander Nymphia alone.”
“You can’t kill me? Why is that?” Elvin asked.
“Because you have the Holy Dagger, and we’re not supposed to kill anyone with that kind of blade. Where’d you get it from?”
Elvin shrugged. “A friend thought I might need it.”
“Is that a way of saying you stole it?”
“No, it’s a way of saying a friend gave it to me. I suppose I can tell you I was going to Lightway, the Kingdom of the-“
“I know it’s the Kingdom of Owls,” Andraste snapped impatiently. “What happened?”
“There was a fight, but I’m not sure who we were fighting. They all wore thick cloaks, so we couldn’t see their faces. There was water magic…everywhere, but most of the crew was composed of sirens or nymphs, so that may not be too strange. I don’t remember much else, and that’s all I feel comfortable telling you. How did I get here?
“I dragged you from the ship. It was Aqua Aura, right?”
“No,” said Elvin. “We had a correspondence with Aqua Aura, saying they’d changed course. It was the Star of the Sea.”
Andraste nodded. “Where did the captain of Aqua Aura say they were going to make port?”
“Dark Inlet, they said. Well, I guess Queen Aurora isn’t getting her message anytime soon. I really hope it isn’t very important. You said you rescued me, though? That’s really unusual.”
“Why is that?”
Elvin shrugged. “I just happened to get a Nymphian dagger before the ship I was on just happened to crash in Nymphia. Then, you just happen to come along.”
“What are you saying?” Andraste asked.
“I’m saying that I think someone is behind this.”
Elvin suddenly paused and winced. He reached the back of his head near the gash. The elf closed his eyes, and pale blue light spread between his fingers. He pulled his hand away, and the gash was completely gone. Andraste’s eyes widened. “How’d you do that?”
“I’m a natural healer, and my magic is water,” Elvin replied. “After all, elves are magical creatures.”
Andraste flushed. She had never known an elf with true magical powers. Elves in Nymphia were practically human- barely a step above humans. All elves were naturally agile, and their hearing was unrivaled, but otherwise they were human. Few could use magic, and those who could use it didn’t use it well. Andraste loathed admitting she had no magic; it made her seem like an ordinary human. “Who are you?” Elvin asked.
“Livila,” Andraste lied promptly.
Elvin nodded and sighed. “I don’t suppose you know where another Nymphian port is?” he said.
“Dark Inlet is the only other port. Well, there are others along the coast, but they aren’t as well known. Aqua Aura was due to arrive here today, so logically, they’ll arrive at Port Nacht tomorrow. The storm would’ve knocked them off course.”
“Where is that?”
“It’s south,” Andraste replied. “I’ll take you there if you want. I’m heading that way.” And, Andraste thought. It’ll be the quickest way to get rid of him. Besides, all I need is for him to tell a patrol about me.
“That’s very kind of you,” Elvin replied.
Andraste shrugged. “Whatever.”
Elvin yawned tiredly, and Andraste glanced up at the sky. “Why don’t you sleep? I’ll stay up and keep watch.”
“Are you sure?” Elvin asked, but Andraste was already out of sight in the branches of a tall elm tree.

***

Andraste crouched in a cluster of bushes just outside of camp and loosed one of the arrows she’d recovered from the ship The elf made a mental note to ask Elvin if they were his. She shot a hawk, and dashed forward to catch the falling bird before it hit the ground. There was a religious superstition regarding hunting. The four elements, wind, water, fire, and earth were each controlled by a lesser Guardian of Magick, and then there was light and darkness, both of which were protected by a stronger Guardian; that was a widely accepted belief, but the lesser Guardians were ruled by Light and Darkness, the Darkness ruling the Guardians of Water and Earth, while Light ruled Fire and Air. In Nymphia, where the Guardian of Darkness was worshipped, and her alone, it was terrible luck to slay an air creature-one of Light- and let it die on the ground-a place of Darkness. Andraste held the hawk in one arm, and retrieved the bow and arrows before heading back to camp. Of course, she didn’t believe in superstitions. She scoffed at the fact that she’d went through so much trouble for tradition.
She had just finished roasting the hawk, when Elvin woke. “It’s hawk,” Andraste said, “I’ll get you some. I managed to salvage some supplies from the ship you were on, if you want some of those as well.”
Elvin nodded. Andraste bit into her portion of the hawk and glanced at Elvin as he closed his eyes and chanted.
‘Guardians of Earth and Fire,
Water and wind,
Your grace shines on us all below,
We take the wind’s life,
So that we may live and grow,
Thank you Guardians,
For my home, my heart,
And my soul.’

“You thanked all of the Guardians,” Andraste commented.
Elvin shrugged. “Well, yeah, I guess so.”
“Then, where do your loyalties lie?”
“Well, they lie with Luminous and Queen Rhiannon,” Elvin said.
“I didn’t mean that!” Andraste snapped. “Which Guardian do you worship?”
“Luminousians worship all and none of the Guardians.”
“What do you mean?” Andraste asked.
“Well,” Elvin said slowly. “We make blessings- what we call ‘good faith’ – to all of the Guardians, but we don’t worship them. We take from them, shelter, air, warmth, and food, but we- those who believe in the Guardians- always give thanks and try to return what we take. What about you?”
“I worship the Guardian of Darkness.”
Elvin looked at her curiously. “That’s peculiar. I always saw the darkness as a bad thing.”
Andraste shrugged, standing. “Where there is darkness, there is always light, and, speaking of light, we’re wasting some. Are you ready to go?”
“Right,” Elvin said, “Is it far?”
“No, and I’ve been meaning to ask: is this your bow?”
“You found it? I can’t believe- I mean, yes, it’s mine,” Elvin said.
Andraste nodded, tossing him the bow and arrows. Elvin hastily stood as the elf stood and slung the supplies over her shoulders. “Well, let’s go, shall we?”
The next day, Andraste insisted, since they were so close to Port Nacht, they should travel on through the night. All had been calm in the dark forest until Andraste spotted an arrow and a pool of silver liquid. She knelt beside it, with Elvin hovering over her shoulder. “Is that-“he began worriedly.
“Blood?” Andraste asked, “To answer your question, yes.” She rummaged in the bushes and revealed three silver hairs. “It’s unicorn blood to be exact. I’ve never seen an actual unicorn, but Irethel has a vial of some of one’s blood.”
“You’ve never seen a unicorn?” Elvin asked in shock. “Who’s Irethel?”
Andraste ignored him and stood. “Come on,” she said, walking deeper into the woods.