Chapter 9 Chapter Eight Quietly

The whole forest was eerily silent.No birds chirping to welcome the dawn, no animals scurrying through the thick foliage overhead. Abeles looked back at the others every few steps, with a worried look clearly on his face. "At least there's no fighting in this area," Danica said, her voice like a whisper, but still loud in the quiet of the forest. Abeles turned to join them. "The road is fine, but I dare not risk riding," he said softly. "Even leading the horses so slowly, you can hear their hooves from many yards away." Cadderly snapped his fingers, then flinched at the sharp sound.Ignoring the surprise on the faces of the others, and the angry look on Abereth's face, he pulled his bag from Temerissa's back.He led the Taimeresa now, its bells removed, wrapped in its clothes, and stowed away in its saddlebag.

"Wrap them up," Cadderly said, pulling out a thick blanket, and the others didn't seem to understand what he was talking about. "I said horseshoes," Cadderly explained, "tear the blanket into long strips..." His voice faded away as he caught sight of the stern elf.Albereth looked at him strangely— Cadderly thought he saw a glimmer of admiration in Albereth's silver eyes. Without another word, Aberis drew his knife and took the blanket from Cadderly.After a while, they set off again, the hooves still making the sound, but a little softer.Abereth looked back again, nodded approvingly, and Danica smiled and nudged Cadderly.

They rested briefly later that morning, far from the forest's eastern border.But the forest was still very quiet, and there was no trace of human beings, friends or enemies. "My people will fight small, quick battles," Ebereth explained. "They are too few in number to sustain the casualties of a large war. They will move quickly and quietly, striking from afar the enemy, and leave before the opponent can get close." "Then we don't have much chance of finding them," Danica said. "They're more likely to find us." "Not so," explained the elf, "they have to tend the horses, and surely—" The next sentence weighed heavily on him, "the wounded companion will need a safe place to recuperate. No matter how sudden the attack, West Mista is not without plans of resistance. We are few in number and not allied with any great power. We have been the inhabitants of Mista since centuries ago when the first elves set foot in the forest , and have already begun to practice ways to resist aggression.”

"Let's go find the pre-determined quarters," Cadderly reasoned. Abeles nodded.He took a branch and drew a sketch of the forest on the ground. "From the point of view of the smoke, that's where the war took place," he said, pointing to the area to the north. "Then we don't need to muffle the hoofbeats," Rufo interjected, "and we should ride rather than walk." But the thin man's proposal didn't go over well. "We're currently near the center of the forest," Abereth continued, leaving Rufo's thoughts hanging unanswered for a moment. "The first camp will be there, a little to the south of a well-defended area called Dales." The elf seemed to be struggling to swallow a lump in his throat again, "I'm assuming it should be covered by now." Abandoned."

"What about the next quarter?" Cadderly asked, simply because he thought Abereth would take a while to recover. "Here." Aberes pointed to a place not far from their current location.He looked up for a gap in the thicket, pointing to a distant hill jutting out of the canopy of the thicket a few miles to the north. "Dionysus, the Hill of Stars," the elf explained, "its sides are surrounded by thick pine trees, while the north and west are blocked by tangled birch trees. There are many caves where one can easily hide, And some are big enough to hold a horse."

"How long will it take to get there?" Danica asked. "It's faster if you're on a horse," Rufo said. "Before we decide to ride," Cadderly interposed, drawing the lean man's attention before Abereth could answer, "can you explain to me why the forest is so quiet?" "It's full of fear," Danica agreed. Abeles nodded. "I think it's better to walk. Even with walking, we can reach Dionysus after sunset. I will take the first one, far ahead." "And I'll take the side path," Danica said, "and hide in the bushes." She looked at Cadderly. "You can lead two horses."

Cadderly nodded, and they set off again, plodding and as quietly as possible through the trees.Rufo often stopped to rub his feet, not at all happy that he had to walk anyway, but he didn't complain, other than throwing Cadderly an occasional angry look. Three hours later, as the sun eagerly began to set, Danica whispered to Cadderly and Rufo to stop the horses.They were both surprised that the woman was actually so close to them, for although the bushes beside the road were thick and tangled, they did not hear her approach at all. Abeles rushed back at this point and signaled to the two men to lead the horses away from the open road.

"There are goblins," the elf explained when they were all hiding under thick bushes. "A lot of goblins, scattered in the east and west. Their goal is Dionysus, but they have guards and archers along the way." "Can we get around them?" Cadderly asked. "I don't know," the elf replied honestly. "I believe their battle lines are long, and to get around them we'd have to stay off the road and walk among the tangled trees where horses probably couldn't get through." Danica shook her head. "If their lines are long," she reasoned, "then they're probably not dense enough and we can just break through."

"What about the archers?" Rufo reminded her. "How many are on the way?" Danica asked Aberez. "I see two," replied the Elf, "but I believe there are at least several more hiding in the bushes." "I can knock them down," the woman assured. Abereth started to object, but Cadderly grabbed his elbow.The young scholar's nod made the elf swallow his protest. Danica sketched a road layout on the ground. "Your location is here," she explained.She winked at Abereth. "Get your bow ready!" she said, deliberately including the elf in her plans.

She then continued to hide in her hiding place, and just said the rest of the plan aloud, "When you hear the jay crowing signal, charge forward." No response came, and she didn't want to waste any time, So Danica set off quietly along the bushes. "I'll catch up to you when I pass," Cadderly assured her back, and Danica had no doubts about that. Albereth and Cadderly took up position near the bend in the road, from which they could see the goblins in the distance, while Rufo followed with three horses, ready to wait for the elf's signal to go. Forward.Abeles kept his eyes and ears sensitive to the movement of the forest while pointing out Danica's progress.The young woman made her way quietly among the trees on the right side of the road.She was almost seen as she burst out of the bushes, but then she disappeared entirely, without a branch to shake to give her whereabouts.

There was a sudden rustling from the goblin's side.Abereth drew his bow, but Cadderly put a hand on the elf's arm, reminding him to be patient.Compared with Cadderly and Abereth, the commotion was obviously less obvious to the two goblins guarding the road, because the two monsters didn't even turn their heads. A few seconds, as long as an hour, passed quietly for these nervous companions. "Where are you?" Cadderly whispered into the empty road in front of him. Although he believed in Danica, he was still afraid of what might happen.He held the one-handed crossbow drawn and ready to shoot, and had to remind himself several times—as he reminded Abereth—to be patient and trust Danica. "Where are you?" As if in response, Danica suddenly appeared behind a goblin guard.A flick of her arm wrapped around the goblin's head, and she put her other hand over its mouth before dragging him back into the bushes. Another guard fell to his knees, trying to grab the short sword that had been driven deep into its chest. The jay signal sounded almost immediately, and Abereth turned to Rufo to signal.Within seconds they were up and running, Taimeresa easily ahead of the other lesser horses. An archer appeared on the left side of the road, but Abereth's arrow was faster, and the goblin fell in a heap. Two other archers appeared among the bushes further down the road, and Danica noticed them and rushed forward.She spun sideways, ducked to dodge one arrow, then stopped the spin perfectly and kept going, then dropped to the ground to dodge another arrow.During these evasive maneuvers, she didn't slow down at all.The goblins didn't even have time to fire any more arrows, because Danica had already leaped at them, reared up in mid-air, and kicked them to the ground with her feet outstretched. Cadderly's blue silk cloak flapped behind him.He ducked his head, grabbed his broadbrimmed hat, and kicked his mount in the belly to move it forward, eager to get to Danica's side.He could see the bushes shaking with the fight in them.A goblin's arm is raised, holding a sword, and viciously slashes. "No!" Cadderly called.Then the same sword was raised from the bushes again, but this time in Danica's hand, and a goblin howled in pain as it fell. Abereth's steed stood up as it passed wounded guards in the road, and the elven prince ended the monster's life with his sword, then lowered himself from the saddle to retrieve Danica's precious short sword.A goblin rushed out from the bushes on the other side, targeting the elf. Using his now-favorite tactic, Zirkan Rufo - or more correctly, Zirkan Rufo's mount - stepped over the creature in no time. Danica returned to the edge of the road and crouched low, waiting for Cadderly to pick her up.Another goblin appeared, charging at her with a sword. Cadderly's wide-brimmed hat flew back to the end of the ropes that bound it, and flew with the silk cloak behind his neck.He raised his loaded crossbow and tried to shoot the creature with an arrow.But the galloping bounce prevented him from doing so, and he kicked his mount in the belly to make it move forward, right behind the goblin.The goblin turned, roaring and swinging his sword. But it doesn't get a chance to use it at all.Just a few feet away, Cadderly fired an arrow.The horse took another giant stride and brought him within range of the goblin's sword, but the goblin flew into the air and fell through the bushes, dead. Cadderly did not escape unscathed, however.Because he was so close to the target, the power of the explosion burned him and made him invisible, almost falling off his horse.Then Danica was sitting behind him, guiding the horse back to the middle of the road and steadying Cadderly. Albereth and Rufo were right behind them, and shouts and shouts immediately surrounded them. "Ride on!" cried the elf prince, kicking the Temeresan to his feet in all directions.His mighty bows tensed again, and again, sending a foe to his grave with each arrow. Rufo's horse was alone, so he got a few steps ahead of Cadderly, making Cadderly and Danica prime targets for the goblins that emerged from the bushes along the way.Several spears shot indiscriminately fell powerlessly halfway without causing any damage.An arrow whizzed past, and then another came, squarely aimed at Cadderly's back. Danica noticed it at the last moment and held out her arm to block it. "What's wrong?" Cadderly called in alarm. "It's all right!" Danica replied. "Ride forward!" She decided not to let Cadderly see the arrow through her forearm just now. After the horses ran a few more paces, they got rid of the pursuers.Then Taimerisa came after him, as fast as an arrow.All of a sudden Abeles was riding next to them again, with a serious face but no injuries. After walking for about half a mile, they slowed down and dismounted.Only then did they discover Danica's injuries. Cadderly nearly fainted as he watched the bloody arrow pass from either side of Danica's delicate arm.Abeles rushed to her side, and the young scholar did the same. "It's not a serious injury," Danica reassured them. "How can you say that?" Cadderly retorted.He went back to the horse to take off his bag, and came back with a bandage and a jar of ointment.When he came back to her, Danica had drawn the arrow, lost in concentration, using her meditative abilities to marshal strength against the pain. Cadderly bandaged the wound tenderly, trying not to disturb her concentration.Danica's mental strength was truly astonishing; Cadderly once saw her throw a two-inch sliver off her leg without using her hands at all, sheer focus and muscle control.He bandaged her arm as best he could, then hesitated, a troubled look across his face. "What's wrong?" asked Aberez? Cadderly ignored him and began to muster up courage to call out to the god Denir.He was chanting healing spells, one after the other (although he wasn't too familiar with the technique, and wasn't sure how well he did it.) Zirkan Rufo had wanted to keep the healing spells for himself, so reluctantly stepped forward and joined him. But before Rufo could hex the arm, Danica opened her eyes. "No need." She said calmly to the slender priest, her eyes glazed over, and her smooth face was full of satisfaction from the bottom of her heart.Both Aberes and Cadderly wanted to object, but then Cadderly took a closer look at the bandage and saw that the wound was no longer bleeding.He wasn't sure if it was his spell or Danica's focus that had stopped the bleeding, but he really didn't care which. "We've got to keep going," Danica said, her voice sounding like she was falling asleep. "As before, Abeles is at the front and I'm at the side." Abeles objected, "I'll take the lead," he agreed, "but you'll stay with the others and the horses. We're not far from the top of Dionysus, and if my people camp there, I'll Believe that there will be no more enemies between here and there.” Cadderly was surprised that Danica didn't protest, and he learned that her wound was worse than she'd liked to let on, and in much more pain. They walked until dusk, and all the trees shrouded in increasing gloom, an even more ominous sight to Cadderly's eyes.Abereth became alert when he slipped suddenly among the trees, out of sight.However, soon, the elf returned to the road again, approaching them, and there were two tall elves with dignified faces beside him.He introduced them as his cousins, and was pleased to report that his people had indeed encamped at Star Hill, only a mile to the north. One of the elves accompanied them the rest of the way, while the other went back to stand sentry. The elves who accompanied them reported to Abereth; Cadderly saw the elven prince's face contort when he heard the latest battle, in which a magician appeared and made a tree Trees turned into flames. "Ramaris is dead," said the elf, "and Sherin..." Abeles turned sharply toward him, grabbing his shoulders. "She survived," said the elf immediately, "though she was badly wounded, and so was her heart. She was the last to leave Ramalis, and she was dragged away." Abeles didn't look surprised. "She was a loyal friend," he agreed solemnly. When they reached the summit of Dionysia, Abereth went first to Shereen, though soon (and always) he was reported that his father, the King of the Elves, wanted to speak to him. Cadderly was surprised to find that the elf prince seemed to ignore the request so easily and go with his own plan.That made the young scholar somehow think that he had avoided the call of Master Avery many times.Cadderly dismissed the thought quickly, not quite used to comparing himself to the arrogant and merciless Abereth. They found the injured girl in a hammock in a cave that had been set up as a treatment center for the wounded.She was covered in thick bandages in various places, but nothing serious in Cadderly's eyes—until he looked into hers.There was a sadness there that the young scholar felt would never go away. "We left Ramalis behind," the girl whispered, her voice choked up, as Aberez walked up to her. "They killed him and chopped his body into several pieces..." "Shh..." Aberes tried to calm her down, "Ramaris is with the gods now, don't be afraid of him." Xuelin nodded, but still turned her face away. They sat in silence for a long time.Another elf came in and immediately went to tend to Danica's injured arm.The stubborn monk politely declined, but Cadderly elbowed her hard, reminding her that her clothes needed a change, too.Danica sighed in surrender and left with the elf. "When are you going back to fight?" Abeles asked Xuelin slowly, both of them looked at the medical staff next to them. "Tomorrow!" the girl said firmly, and the paramedic could only shrug and nod helplessly. "That's good." Abeles said, "You can rest well tonight, and tomorrow we will go to the battlefield together to avenge Ramalis!" He went to the exit row. "Are you leaving?" Xuelin asked alertly. "There are goblins in the south," Aberes explained. "I guess they're going to surround Star Hill. We won't let them do that." He cast his eyes on Danica. "She'll be with you," he told Xuelin. "She's a good fighter and an ally in our battle." "Are you going after those goblins tonight?" Cadderly asked behind Aberes. "Daytime seems to be more suitable," he explained when Aberes turned to face him. Breen are less adept at fighting during the day." "This is Simista." Aberes reminded him, as if that fact alone was enough to explain everything.The elven prince stood tall and straight, his jaw set and his silver eyes narrowed sternly. "Whether it's day or night, goblins must die." "I'll go with you," Cadderly said. "I won't take you there." Aberes replied, turning his head to Xuelin, "You're not an elf, you can't see clearly at night." Then he said to the girl, "Where is Tinteg?" "With your father," Xuelin replied, "We want to summon Dionysus Tiegfair, but Galandale has been against it." Aberez considered the news for a while, but didn't have time to worry about it.He told Cadderly and Rufo to relax and eat a good meal before striding away from the infirmary. Ten minutes later, fifteen elves set off to hunt goblins.Aberes led the team on Temeresa, with Tinteg the magician at his side.They returned at midnight, reporting that a hundred goblins had been killed and dozens had fled.None of the elves were injured. ※※※ Cadderly was tired, but too excited to sleep.He had read many tomes about elves over the years, but had only seen a few—and in the library.Now he was in Simista himself, a hill under the stars, surrounded by elves, far beyond what he had read about them.There's a flavor here, a strange atmosphere that even the best written words can't capture. He wandered around the camp, and every time he turned a corner, he would see the elf smiling at him, or showing a serious face.And even in the quiet shadows he could notice the rich colors of the elves' hair and eyes.The activity at camp was too busy to be interrupted, so he didn't introduce himself, just touched the brim of his wide-brimmed hat and continued on. From the moment he left the Moezhi Library, he knew this journey would change his life, and he was terrified of it.He is still afraid now, because this world is already a bigger place for him—more dangerous, and at the same time, more wonderful. And what about Abeles?Cadderly didn't like the way the elf treated him, but his gut told him otherwise, his gut told him the elf had a sense of honor and loyalty. When his thoughts inevitably turned to Danica, he found a rock on the north side of the hill and sat down, burying his cheek in his palm.Danica seems to have no reservations about Abereth, accepting the elf completely as a friend and companion.And that fact bothered him more than Cadderly was willing to admit. Cadderly sat for some time, long after the elves' expedition had returned.But in the end, he couldn't figure out any problems.