Chapter 28

It was a short ride to the Sylvan Forest and the party arrived just before nightfall. Within minutes of entering the lush woodland the elf guided them to a guard post which was about a half mile into the forest. The post was a small treehouse, high in an elm and well concealed amidst a maze of branches and leaves. It would be almost impossible to discover unless one knew exactly where to look for it. Though the forest itself was dense, somehow moonlight was able to filter down through the canopy of leaves. It was populated mostly by large pines but had a fair amount of other varieties as well. Here, the majority of the bark was brown and leaves green, though there were touches of reds, oranges and yellows in both. The aroma of the woodland was intoxicating and one could not help but feel an abundance of peace and serenity. An ever present soft wind drifted through the woods whispering ancient ballads, the lyrics and their meanings just beyond comprehension.

Here, two sentries, both of whom were elves and adequate healers, were enlisted to work on Ghemella. There was some disagreement, however, between the sentries and the elf that had come to the party's rescue. But the discussion was a short one. The elf directed the sentries to perform their duty and dismissed them using words from the old elven tongue.

Arhyvhynne walked over to where their benefactor stood, Uriel following her like a puppy. "I am sorry," she told him, "but I have not had the opportunity to offer you our sincere and deepest thanks. Were it not for you, I am afraid we may have all met a very… undesirable end."

"No thanks are necessary, my lady. I only hope that we have arrived in time to save the young lady. The cost has been high already."

Arhyvhynne gravely nodded her head. "Was there a problem back there?"

"No," the elf responded. "Just a simple misunderstanding."