Chapter 18: The price of defeat
For three months, Moonlight's daughters bled out in Thornvale's forests. Three months of plans falling apart, desperate moves, and more deaths each day. Three months watching her warriors die while Elena's forces seemed to grow like shadows at sunset.
Elysia, Princess of Moonlight, stood at her tent's opening, watching rain turn their camp into a muddy mess. Her once-shining silver armor now carried the permanent marks of battle and loss. Behind her, maps covered in red X's told the story—failed attacks, ambushes that became slaughters, positions lost and never won back.
'We never had a chance,' she thought with a heavy heart. 'Not against the forest itself.'
Their first try to take back land had been careful—daytime advance with scouts, tight formations, and magic to spot traps. Elena simply waited until they reached the thickest part of the forest before bringing down huge sections of the tree canopy onto Moonlight's fighters. Two hundred warriors gone in one afternoon.
Two weeks later came the second attack. Elysia had her best water-dancers create paths through underground streams, avoiding the forest floor completely. They came up behind what they thought was Elena's command post, only to find themselves surrounded by poisonous plants grown just for them. Those who survived the toxic pollen came back with permanently damaged lungs, many never able to fight again.
Their third and most desperate attempt came just days ago—a night attack using Moonlight's better vision in darkness. Lyra, Elysia's daughter and fierce cavalry leader, led five hundred of their best remaining warriors, sneaking in from three directions at once.
They hadn't even reached the trees before walking into the trap. Thornvale had spread crushed glowing mushrooms across their path, turning Moonlight's warriors into bright targets against the night. Archers picked them off easily, like hunters thinning a herd.
Four hundred and twenty-three dead in a single night.
"Mother." Sorrel's voice pulled Elysia from her dark thoughts. Her once-lively daughter now walked with a bad limp, thanks to a Thornvale spike trap from their first attack. "The messenger from Thornvale is waiting for your answer."
Elysia's jaw tightened. "Is the count confirmed?"
Sorrel nodded grimly. "Three thousand and forty-seven fallen. Another eight hundred too hurt to ever fight again." She paused. "Mother... we can't keep this up. Moonlight will have no protection if we go on."