Chapter 37: We will come back
Rena and Taeryn exchanged glances, the weight of his words sinking in.
They had grown up in Frostvale and had planned to live their entire lives there, raising their children in the same peaceful village where they had been born.
But that peace was shattered now, probably forever.
"He’s right," Rena said quietly, her voice stronger than anyone expected. "We can’t stay here. Not if it means bringing more death to our neighbours."
She looked at her mother and Jaenor. She didn’t want to leave them, but she had to in order to save them.
Taeryn nodded, though his face was tight with pain. His mother was badly wounded, and leaving might mean he would never see her again. But staying might mean watching everyone else die.
"That’s a wise choice," Morgana said, and there was approval in her ancient eyes. "The path ahead will be dangerous, but it is the only way to protect those you love."
Darian suddenly tensed, his head turning toward the dark forest that surrounded the village.
His hand moved to his sword hilt, and his eyes narrowed as he scanned the tree line. "They’re coming," he said, his voice low and urgent. "I can hear them moving through the woods—not fiends this time, but something else. Something worse."
The survivors began to murmur in fear, and several of the children started to cry. The brief moment of safety they had felt after the battle was gone, replaced by the cold knowledge that their ordeal was far from over.